Your Obedient Servant
by AwkwardJello
Summary: Alexander has always hated life in the Laurens mansion. As a result, he has always kept to himself. But when he meets his harsh landlord's son, he never expects to befriend him, much less fall in love with him. Inspired by a dream I had.
1. Chapter 1: Bastard, But Not Orphan

A/N: I had this dream where Alex and his mom were living with the Laurens family as tenants/servants. I woke up and got inspired to write _another_ Lams fanfic. Enjoy!

* * *

"Scrub harder!" the man yelled at Alexander. "I need to see my reflection in it."

Alex bit his lip to keep from retorting, "As if you need to see your reflection in the floor." He continued to furiously rub the marble with the rag, ignoring the pain building up in his knees from crouching down for so long.

"Better," his landlord said, sounding barely satisfied. He then turned and walked away, Alex scowling at his retreating back.

"You're welcome," he muttered under his breath. He was about to add "asshole" when he spotted his mother dusting the furniture across the ballroom from him along with three other maids. Rachel Fawcett, like her son, had straight brown hair that was currently up in a bun. She never married Alex's father, thus why she didn't have Hamilton as her last name. As Alex watched his mother, she pulled a handkerchief out of her maid's uniform and dabbed it at her forehead.

Alex sighed. As much as he hated Henry Laurens, he knew he was in the wealthy man's debt. Rachel had been terribly ill due to yellow fever, and if Mr. Laurens hadn't lent them the money to pay for Rachel's treatment, Alexander would have been more than a bastard. He would've been a bastard orphan. Unfortunately, in exchange for the money, Rachel would have to serve the Laurens family as a maid. How long she would have to serve them was up to Henry.

Rachel agreed to the contract, and she and 11-year-old Alex ended up moving into the Laurens mansion(not the nicer parts of it, obviously).

Rachel and Alexander made eye contact for a moment. She smiled and waved at her son. He waved back.

 _Are you okay?_ she mouthed, holding up an okay sign.

 _Yes_ , Alex mouthed back. She smiled, and went back to work.

Technically, Alex didn't need to work for the Laurens family. Only his mom did. But Henry was so unpleasant with Alex whenever he caught the boy spending his free time in the library, or just randomly walking around, that Alex eventually got pressured into working as an unappointed servant alongside Rachel.

As soon as Alex turned 18, he could leave on his own. But as tempted as he was to do that, Alex couldn't bear the thought of leaving Rachel behind to fend for herself, if Henry didn't dismiss her from service by then. His father had already left, unable to pay off his debts and handle the pressure of having two illegitimate sons. When Rachel had told Alex's older brother James Jr. that they were leaving for New York, James had stayed behind in Nevis, having become a carpenter's apprentice and therefore able to earn a living for himself. As a result, Alex was all his mother had left, and he wasn't about to leave her alone.

Alex continued scrubbing at the marble floor, until he started feeling someone's eyes on him. He looked up, and saw a boy leaning on the railing of the ballroom's balcony. He had freckles and curly hair tied back into a ponytail. His hazel eyes stared back at Alex's brown ones. Alexander wondered how long he had been standing there. The two had a staring contest for a good two minutes, before Alex broke eye contact and focused on a vase nearby.

He had heard about Henry's four children, but he never actually met them. He saw them from time to time—three boys and one girl—and made sure to keep a safe distance from them. He didn't need a bunch of spoiled brats bossing him around too. He peeked at the boy on the balcony out of the corner of his eye. From where he was, Alex could see that the boy was around his age.

 _That must be John Laurens_ , he thought to himself. _That maid said this year is his third year in high school._ In fact, Alex saw the boy at school every now and then. Henry Laurens had also helped Alexander enroll at the same high school as his son, along with paying for both boys' tuition and uniforms.

"Another reason why you should be thankful, you ungrateful little bastard," Henry had told him. He seemed so reluctant to let Alex go to such a prestigious school like NYC Prep(lol I'm SO creative), Alex still wondered why the man even bothered to enroll him in the first place.

Alex looked up at John again. The freckled boy grinned and waved at him. Alexander blinked. _Did he just wave hi to me?_ He furiously shook his head and looked back down at the floor. _Nice try, Mr. Nice Guy. He's no doubt just like his dad. Racist. Homophobic. Xenophobic. A total dick._ Eventually he heard shuffling, and John was gone. _Good._

"Alexander." Rachel had walked over to him. She smiled gently at Alex. "Why don't you take a break and let me finish polishing this floor?"

Alex shook his head. "I'm not letting you clean this floor by yourself."

"Alex." Rachel placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "I'm fine. Really, you don't have to worry about me all the time. Go do something you enjoy, and relax. You've done enough for today. Besides, I'm not by myself. There are other maids here." Alex couldn't help but smile. His mother truly was the kindest and most beautiful woman in the world.

"Are-are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded, and kissed his forehead.

"Go have fun. Maybe later, we can practice your French together."

Alexander perked up. "Really?" Even though he was currently learning French in high school, it was still fun practicing with his mother at home, er, the mansion.

"Really. Now shoo!" Rachel playfully shoved Alex. He giggled, and walked out of the ballroom.

Despite remembering the entire mansion's layout, it took Alex a while to navigate through the huge mansion to get to the servants' quarters. The place was _that big_.

Alex and his mom's room was located in the back of the house on the first floor, as all the other servants' rooms were. Most of the maids and butlers, along with the cooks, didn't live here in the mansion, but there were a few exceptions, like Alex and Rachel. On his way there, he bumped into an elderly maid struggling with some heavy-looking books in her arms.

"Here ma'm, let me help you." Alex carefully took three of the books from the maid, who smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you, dear." Alex then followed her to the nearest library, which was, to Alex's delight when he discovered it as a kid, also located on the first floor.

The library, in Alex's opinion, was the best thing in the mansion. There were five of them, two on the first floor and three on the second. They all had tall, mahogany shelves filled with books both old and new. Fiction, nonfiction, you name it! A plus bonus was that these libraries also had wooden desks that were complete with matching wooden chairs and lamps. In addition, the first floor libraries each had a little corner with beanbags for younger readers to sit in. The second floor libraries were the ones with computers in them.

The maid pointed at a bookshelf near the back. "Put those books on that shelf all the way at the back, dear. Oh, and make sure they're on the top shelf," she said. "I'm supposed to return _these_ books"—she gestured to the remaining two in her hands—"there." She nodded at a shelf near the front of the room.

"Alright," Alex said.

The maid smiled. "Once again, thank you." She put the books back into their shelf, then left.

Alex walked over to the shelf the maid had pointed to earlier. He knew Henry wanted his books to be _meticulously_ in alphabetical order, so he read the titles on the books' spines before determining where to put them. He stood on his tiptoes in order to reach the top shelf, which was barely an arm's length above his head.

Alex managed to put two of the books back before he recognized the last book's title. It was a law book that he had been wanting to read for some time, but never had the chance to. He looked around the library to make sure no one was watching, then walked over and sat down in one of the beanbags in the beanbag corner. He opened the book and delved into it. Alex was so immersed in the book, he didn't notice the figure walking towards him in the library.

"That's a nice book you got there." Alex jumped at the person's voice, and looked up. His eyes widened when he saw John Laurens standing over him. John chuckled at the horrified expression on Alex's face.

Alex scrambled to his feet and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'll put this book back where it belongs," he said, but John stopped him.

"If you want, you can take it with you." He yawned. "Law has never really been my thing, anyway. Just make sure you return it when you're done."

Alex continued staring, unsure how to respond. _Etiquette and respect!_ Alex could practically hear Henry yelling those words in his head now that he was face-to-face with one of his sons. Attempting to be polite, he bowed again and said, "Thank you, sir."

John laughed, making Alex's face go red with embarrassment. _Was that not the right thing to do?_ "Dude, you don't need to be so formal with me," he said. "Just call me John."

Alex opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he gave a response. "Okay, sir—I mean, John."

John grinned, then turned to walk away. Before he did, he looked over his shoulder and waved. "Guess I'll see you around…" He gave Alex a questioning look. "Um, what's your name?"

Alex hesitated, before answering, "It's Alexander, but just call me Alex."

John nodded. "Alright, bye Alex!" And he was gone again.

Alexander stared down at the book in his hands. He had snuck other books from the library into his room before, but this was the first time someone had actually granted _permission_ for him to borrow a book. It was also the first time Alex had interacted with one of the Laurens kids.

Alex tucked the book under his arm, and headed to his room.

* * *

"Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf," Rachel sang. She was currently on break, so she was taking the time to practice French with Alexander in their small bedroom. The two of them were sitting on the edge of Alex's bed.

Rachel's method of teaching, as you can see, was through singing.

"Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf," Alexander imitated.

"Sept-huit-neuf," Rachel sang.

"Sept-huit-neuf."

"Sept-huit-neuf."

"Sept-huit-neuf."

Rachel smiled. "Good." She thought of what words to test Alex on, before singing, "Coin?"

Alex didn't take long to translate it. "Corner," he answered.

"Magasin?"

"Store," he replied with ease.

"Ampoule?"

Alex took a moment to think before he sang, "Lightbulb."

Rachel smiled at him teasingly. "You sure?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm sure."

"Chaleur?"

"Heat."

"Hier soir?"

"Last night."

"Douleur?"

"Pain," Alex answered quietly, seeing some flash through his mother's eyes.

"That's… right," she said solemnly. Her cheerful mood picked up again. "Appelle-moi?"

"Call me."

"Bleu?"

"Blue."

"Aime-moi?" She looked at Alex expectantly.

Alex smiled. "Love me."

Rachel kissed the top of his head. "Of course I do."

Little did they know, someone was listening through their closed door.

* * *

Alexander hated rich people. They thought they were the only ones in the world and looked down on everyone else as though they were nothing but cockroaches. As a result, he tended to stay in his room when Henry Laurens had guests over. Which was exactly where Alex was heading to when it happened.

He was arranging the decorations in one of the parlors on the second floor(Henry was _that_ desperate to keep Alex busy with chores), when Henry and his guests walked in. Alex stuck to the walls and stayed hidden in the shadows to avoid being noticed by the group of boisterously laughing men drinking tea with his landlord. He almost made it to the door when he saw his mother among the several maids serving the men their tea.

He figured she could take care of herself, and that she would be fine without him. As he was about to leave the room, however, he saw one of the men reach out and brush his hand against Rachel's backside. She flinched, but didn't fight it otherwise, and continued pouring his tea. The man laughed with delight, making Alex's insides flare up with rage. The other men howled with the first man, who then proceeded to reach under Rachel's skirt.

Alex was already walking halfway across the room, and decided to run the rest of the way. When he reached the table, he punched the pervert square in the face. The man's head reeled back in surprise.

"Leave my mother alone!" Alex roared as he surveyed the damage he had done.

The man's nose was bleeding. His face filled with shock, then anger. He stood up and grabbed Alex by the collar.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he snarled into Alex's face, and Alex knew he had gone too far.

"I wouldn't have ruined your pretty face if you hadn't touched my mom," he spat back.

"I'm going to be the one ruining _your_ pretty face," the man threatened. "Why don't you run back to your whore mother now?"

Alex's vision turned red as he kicked the man right in the crotch. "Don't you dare call her that!" he screamed.

"Alexander." It was Rachel. "Please stop." Her voice was so quiet, so meek.

Alex turned to her. "No, Mom. You don't deserve to be treated like this. No one does!" He pointed to the man, who was struggling to get up with the help of his companions. " _He_ deserves it!"

"Alexander Hamilton." Uh oh. Alex knew that voice. Just then, strong arms grabbed him from behind and held him in place. It was a butler someone had summoned. Alex saw Henry Laurens striding up to him. The man was practically _steaming_ , yet he walked elegantly without looking like a giant about to devour its next victim. The man looked down his beak-like nose at Alex.

Alexander had never seen Henry so up close before, and despite the fact that Henry was probably going to kill him now, Alex couldn't help but compare him to John. They shared some similar features, like the hazel eyes and the freckles on their faces. But Henry's hair was a darker brown that was starting to gray, and it was straight, not curly. Alex didn't know John very well, but he noticed John's eyes carried this sort of laughter in them, while Henry's were stern, devoid of any warmth.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Williams," Henry apologized to the injured man. "Please excuse us." Henry walked out of the parlor, the butler dragging Alex behind him. Rachel hesitantly stayed where she was, though she kept trading worried glances with her son. They stopped in the hallway, far enough away from the parlor to be out of earshot.

"Alexander Hamilton," Henry started, as if he was about to berate Alexander like he's never been berated before, which he did. "For five years, I have been nothing but generous with you and your mother. Your mother is a whore, not to mention an _immigrant_. Yet I still paid for her treatment when she desperately needed it, and thus, I saved her life. If having a harlot for a maid isn't going to stain my reputation, having her illegitimate child _also_ under my roof will.

He glared at Alexander. "But in the end, _I_ was the one who provided shelter for you. _I_ was the one who gave your mother an actual job. _I_ was the one who enrolled you at one of the best schools in New York City. _I_ was the one who made sure you had something to eat so that you didn't starve!" He was breathing heavily now, his temper no longer contained. "But how do you repay me? By walking around _my_ house like you even have a right to be here _and_ by punching one of my clients!" He rubbed his forehead. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Alexander knew there was no other solution. He bowed his head in feigned shame, and launched into an automatic apology. "I'm sorry, sir. I was the wrongdoer here, and I am therefore guilty."

"No, you're not to apologize to _me_. You're to apologize to Mr. Williams."

Alex hung his head. "Yes, sir." He was marched back to the parlor. Alex stood in front of Mr. Williams, and bowed before the man. "I apologize for my actions, sir. I am in the wrong here, so please forgive me. Once again, I am truly sorry, sir."

"I want him punished!" Mr. Williams yelled. His friends nodded their heads in agreement.

Rachel paled. "Wait, please don't punish him!" she cried. "It was my fault! Punish me instead!"

"Quiet, Rachel," Henry snapped. She shrunk back, looking helplessly at Alex. Henry regarded Alex with cold eyes. "Yes, he will be punished. For this _and_ his ungrateful attitude."

The small crowd cheered. "Give him a beating!" Mr. Williams shouted. A maid was now tending to his wounds. "Eighty strikes to the back, fifty to his arms!"

Even though his anger was still there, Alex gulped. Rachel's eyes widened in horror. Right when Alex thought it couldn't get any worse, a young man stepped forward. It was John. _Great, now_ he _wants in on the action_ , Alex thought grumpily.

John whispered something into his father's ear, and a malicious smile appeared on the older man's face. "Why, what a splendid idea, John!" he said. John was smiling, too, but it was more in a calm way, like he was negotiating peace between two sides. Now Alex was actually nervous. What could possibly be worse than a beating?

"Alexander Hamilton," Henry stated. "You will receive a beating like your victim demanded." Mr. Williams smiled triumphantly. "But in addition to that, from here on out, you will be John's personal servant."

* * *

A/N: Yes, this is an AU where Alex's mom is alive, yay! Bonus points if you caught the In The Heights reference(even though I've never seen the musical lol). And if any of the French translations are wrong, you can blame Google Translate for that.

This is also sort of a modern "slavery" AU where servants and masters are legal. I just wanted Alex to be John's servant but then the whole servant thing happened with other characters(u will see in future chapters)so now keeping servants is a thing in this AU.


	2. Chapter 2: Punishments

A/N:For the sake of this story, let's just assume servants are beaten in the kitchen, if they are even beaten at all. Also, HOLY SHITE I didn't expect to get so many reviews and followers on the first day this was published! Thank you so much for the reviews guys!

* * *

Alex's jaw dropped open. He turned his wide-eyed gaze to John, who nodded to confirm it. Alex was now John's slave.

 _Why did this have to happen to me?_ he thought.

"John, why don't _you_ see to Alex's beating?" Henry suggested to his son. "That could be your first task as his master." Alex cringed at the word. _Master?_ John wasn't any older than he was, and somehow Alex landed himself a position that was below his own classmate.

Alex looked over at Rachel, who could only stand there uselessly, unable to help her son. Alex was on his own.

"Come now, Alexander," John said, walking to the parlor's door and motioning for Alex to follow, as if Alex was his own dog. The butler proceeded to drag Alex to the door. Alex threw him off with a glare.

"I can walk on my own, thanks," he snapped. The butler, unfazed, calmly walked on after Alex.

"I want him struck with the longest stick you have!" Mr. Williams shouted after them(do they beat servants with sticks?).

"Alex!" Rachel cried, hysterical now. Alex looked over his shoulder. His mom had grabbed Henry's sleeve, pulling on it desperately. "Please don't beat him! He's a good boy! It's my fault!"

Henry threw her off with brute force, and she fell onto the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Silence, or you'll be next," he warned. "If your son behaves, then hopefully this will be his last beating. Now get back to work!"

Alex bit the inside of his cheek and walked out of the parlor. His mother's whimpering faded as they got farther away.

John, Alex, and the butler stopped before an area Alex sometimes found himself working in: the kitchen.

"Marcus, find Rudy and tell her to give this boy twenty strikes. Tell her I sent him," John instructed. The butler nodded, and John left. Alex didn't even care that John had lowered the severity of his punishment. Either way, he was about to walk away with bruises.

The butler firmly nudged Alex through the entrance to the kitchen, where servants and cooks were busy preparing the next meal for the mansion's residents. They continued milling about when Alex and Marcus walked in, though some of them stole curious glances at the two of them.

"Rudy!" Marcus called. "We have a rogue servant who's here to receive a beating!" Alex stiffened when a burly woman with a sour-looking scowl appeared before them. She had on a white chef's uniform and a tall matching chef's hat.

"This kid?" Rudy asked in a hoarse voice, which had a Southern accent.

Marcus nodded. "Twenty strikes on his arms and back. _Master John_ sent him."

Rudy's expression didn't change, though Alex could've sworn her shoulders relaxed at the mention of John's name. "Ah, I see. Very well." Her scowl landed on Alex. "Come along now."

Alex considered running out of the kitchen then. He figured if he was fast enough, he could run past Marcus and escape back to his room. Or even better, escape out of the mansion.

Rudy and Marcus must've read his mind, though, because when Alex stayed rooted to the floor, Rudy glared at him. "Don't waste my time," she warned. Marcus grabbed his arm and dragged him into a storage room at the back of the kitchen. It was relatively small, with shelves lining up the walls. Some shelves contained canned food, while others had cardboard boxes labeled God-knows-what.

Rudy pulled out a heavy-looking black box from under a shelf. Alex's heart started beating faster. _This is it_ , he thought. _This is where it gets me._

He remembered how the other children would torment Alexander and his brother whenever they went outside to get groceries or run some errand for their mother, or even just to play ball. He remembered how they would beat him up and take his money, calling him a bastard over an over. And if Alex or James tried to fight back, the children's parents would threaten to come to their house, and beat the boys themselves.

Rudy took something long and thin from out of the box. Alex tried to make a run for it, but Marcus blocked the door, which was shut. He had no choice but to give in and accept his punishment. Alex turned back to Rudy, who whacked the stick onto the box's open lid, making a cracking noise. When Alex flinched, she smirked, seeming amused. _What could she possibly find funny about this?_

"Take off your shirt," Rudy ordered. Alex did as he was told, sliding his T-shirt over his head, and giving it to Marcus, who came forward to take it from him. The man draped the shirt over his arm, like a waiter would with a towel. "Turn around," Rudy instructed. He turned around as slowly as he could, trying to delay the inevitable. "Don't worry, this'll be nice and quick."

Alex squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the sting to come. A moment later, he felt something come into contact with his back, but it wasn't the rod. It was actually… soft. The object was being brushed in a small circle on Alex's back. Alex whipped his head around to see what Rudy was doing to his back, and the woman gave him a frustrated glare.

"Can you please not move?" she hissed. "You're going to smudge the bruises." _Smudge? Bruises?_ It was then that Alex saw that Rudy didn't have the long rod in her hand like before, but instead held a small makeup brush. The brush's bristles were powdered purple.

"What are you—" Alex was interrupted when Marcus picked up the thin rod, which had been laying abandoned on the floor, and smacked the black box with it again. Alex jumped, and Rudy smiled at him apologetically.

"Sorry if that scared ya," she said. "Gotta make it sound like you're getting the stick in here, if you know what I mean." Marcus continued cracking the rod across the top of the box, while Rudy went back to applying "bruises" to Alex's bare back.

After a few cracks of the rod and more dabbing of makeup, Alex calmed down enough to ask, "Why are you doing this?"

Rudy shrugged. "Those are our orders."

"But won't you get in trouble if John finds out you faked my beating?"

"Those _are_ Master John's orders," Rudy said. For a moment, even Marcus stopped whipping the rod to see Alex's expression morph into one of shock. Rudy chuckled at Alex's speechlessness. "The master is kinder than you may think," she told him mysteriously.

"But… why would he…?" Alex couldn't find the right words to finish his question.

"A little thing you should know for future reference," Marcus said, surprising Alex, since he rarely heard the butler speak, "is that Master John _never_ beats his servants."

Alex could only stare at them in awe, the pieces finally clicking together in his head. John had requested Alex to be his servant… so that he could save Alexander from being beaten. Alex felt the tiniest bit of relief, then caution. This sounded awfully similar to what had happened between his mother and Henry. By sparing Alex, John now expected Alex to owe him. Safety for labor. _The guy has me trapped_ , Alex realized.

"Alright, turn back around now," Rudy barked at Alex. Marcus stopped hitting the box, then continued once Alex was facing Rudy. Rudy started painting purple splotches on Alex's arms. There was a makeup kit lying on the floor beside Rudy, which she opened whenever she wanted to switch to a different brush or color.

 _He doesn't want to be some noble savior._

Eleven darkly colored blobs dotting his arms, six on his left arm and five on his right.

 _He just wants another slave._

The bruises were now colored different shades of purple, black, and even a little red.

 _Why else would he help me?_

"All done," Rudy declared. Marcus stopped his fake beating, and she put the makeup kit back into the black box. _So that's where the kit came from._ Alex examined his new "bruises," and winced. They looked so real, Alex was almost scared to touch them. _Is this what my back looks like, too?_

"Pretty neat, huh?" Rudy asked, clearly proud of her work.

"How did you make it look so real?"

Rudy snorted. "You'd be surprised with what you could do with makeup." She took the rod from Marcus and placed it back into the box.

"So… the rod is just for show?" Alex inquired.

"Oh, no, people do actually get the stick back here." Alex sucked in a sharp breath. "But it's rarer than you think," Rudy reassured him. "Usually it's only if some punk got caught stealing or, like, hit someone in the family." Marcus stepped forward and handed Alex back his shirt. "Alright, you're good to go. But could you also maybe _act_ like you just got your ass beaten to a pulp? That would help us even more."

"Alright…" Alex hunched over slightly and cradled one of his arms.

"That's better," Rudy said. "Henry will definitely leave you alone once he sees you all crippled up like that." Alex stared at her. "What?"

"You called Mr. Laurens Henry."

Rudy smirked. "You actually scared of the guy? As long as he doesn't catch you calling him by his first name, he won't do no harm to ya."

"I'm not scared of him!" Alex cried indignantly, slipping his shirt back on. "It's just… you call him Henry and yet you call his son _Master_ John. It doesn't really make sense."

Rudy's gaze softened. "Just because his dad's an asshole doesn't mean he's one too." They exited the storage room, and Alex heard Rudy whisper, "That's why we respect him for real."

* * *

On Alex's way back to his room, he passed Henry and his guests from before, including Mr. Williams. They narrowed their eyes at him, but when they saw the bruises on Alex's arms, and the way his back was hunched over, they relaxed. Mr. Williams smiled smugly and let out a satisfied grunt. Henry, however, stepped in his way.

"Where do you think you're going, Mr. Hamilton? Did John dismiss you so soon already?"

"Yes, sir," Alex lied. Last thing he needed was to tell Henry the truth and get a _second_ beating.

"Hmph." Henry turned and started to walk away with his guests, unable to find another excuse to ruin Alex's day. _Phew, close one._ But then the man turned around. "Why don't you bring John some water? It's good to always stay hydrated. I was going to pour him a mug and bring it to him myself. But since you're here, why don't _you_ do it for me?" His lips quirked up into a smile. "As his servant, you should be taking care of your master."

 _This son of a—_ "Yes, sir," Alex said through gritted teeth.

"Wonderful," Henry said, smiling. Alex heard the other men snickering at him as he walked in the opposite direction from his room. He entered the kitchen once more, where there was a water dispenser and a cupboard full of mugs. He saw Rudy, who was barking orders at her fellow cooks. Alex grabbed a random green mug and filled it with warm water. He placed it on a tray and carefully carried it out of the kitchen.

Now Alex had another problem: He didn't know where John's room was, or if John was even there at the moment. All he knew was that the Laurens family's bedrooms were located on the second floor. He never bothered to memorize who slept where.

Alex slowly walked up the stairs with the tray in his hands, so that he wouldn't spill any water on the way up. He spotted a young maid sweeping the floor in the hallway.

"Um, excuse me, Miss?" The maid looked up. "Do you happen to know where John Laurens' bedroom is?" The maid raised a quizzical eyebrow, and he quickly added, "This water's for him."

"His door is right here," she answered, gesturing to the wooden door she and Alex were standing in front of.

"Oh, thanks." The maid continued sweeping, while Alex knocked on the door.

"Come in!" John called from inside. Alex opened the door, where he found John playing some video game on his TV. _The guy has an f-ing TV in his room._ The freckled boy looked up, and grinned. "Oh, hey Alex!"

"Hey…"

"What brings you here?"

"Um, well…" Alex stared down at the mug of water he brought. "Your father told me to bring you some water, so… here."

John blinked. "Oh, thanks."

Alex looked around the room. "Where, exactly, should I put this?"

"Uh, you can put it down here." John patted the spot next to him. Alex walked over to where John was sitting with his controller. He crouched down and placed the tray on the floor next to John. Alex then just awkwardly stood there, watching John as he tapped the buttons on his controller.

After an awkward silence: "Um, aren't you going to dismiss me?"

John looked up from his video game, surprised. "You're not gonna stay?"

"Um, no?" _What reason do I have to stay?_ "I just figured, you know, since I'm your servant, you have to, uh, dismiss me in order for me to, um, leave." His face flushed with embarrassment, and he internally cringed.

John laughed. "Lemme guess." He put on a mock stern face. "Etiquette and respect?" he imitated in a deep voice.

Alex couldn't help but laugh as well, but quickly restrained himself. "Um, yeah, something like that…"

John gave him a lopsided smile. "It's okay, you can laugh at my dad if you want. I do it all the time." He turned so that he was facing Alex. "You also don't need to 'serve' me. Like I said before, you can drop all that formal stuff when you're with me."

Alex stared at the floor. "Thanks for sticking up for me back there," he mumbled. He willed himself to make eye contact with John. "But… why did you help me?"

John shrugged. "I just wanted to help."

Alex stared at him. "That's it?"

"Well, yeah. What more could there possibly be?"

"You don't want anything in return?"

John raised his eyebrows. "Listen, I don't really care about all that 'I owe you this, I owe you that' crap. But what I do believe is that you shouldn't be punished for protecting someone you love."

Alex's eyes widened. "You knew?"

John nodded. "I may have just met you, Alexander, but I don't think you're the type of guy who would punch someone unless you had a good reason to."

Alex opened his mouth, then closed it. He focused on the fake bruises on his arms. "Did you actually order them to fake my beating?"

"I mean, that was the whole point." John grinned. "I can see Rudy did a pretty good job with them. You might wanna hide your bare arms for two weeks before showing them again. That's how long it usually takes for bruises to fully heal."

"Um, thanks." Alex took a step back toward the door. "I guess I'll be going now." He awkwardly waved at John. "Bye."

"Bye, Alex!" John smiled, waving back. Alexander closed the bedroom's door, and walked downstairs to his room. His mother was probably worried sick right now.

Alex was indeed correct. He found Rachel sitting at the base of her bed, sobbing uncontrollably. She looked up, and more tears trailed down her face when she saw Alex.

"Alex!" she cried, and wrapped him in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you! It's all my fault!"

"Mom." Alex wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. I—"

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better childhood," Rachel interrupted. "I'm sorry you had to be born like this."

"Mom."

"I know how much you wanted to learn as a kid, but you couldn't go to school because of me." Rachel eyes were red and puffy. "I tried to get you into a school, any school, but they all told me they didn't teach bastards." Her hand brushed Alex's hair. "I'm so sorry, Alex."

"Mom." He rubbed her back soothingly. "It's okay."

"And you got treated like an animal because of me." She gingerly held Alex's arms. "I'm sorry I couldn't be a better mother to you."

"Mom!" Alex took Rachel's hands, and squeezed them. "These bruises aren't actually real." She looked up at him, registering what he said.

"What?"

Alex held his right arm up, and touched one of the purple splotches on it. "These bruises. They're fake, Mom. They didn't actually beat me."

Rachel started crying again, but it was out of relief this time. "Really?" she asked softly. Alex nodded. She wrapped him up in a hug again. "Oh, sweetheart." She paused for a moment, before adding, "I'm sorry about those other things, though." Alex fell silent. "I also know how much you hate this place, and I'm sorry for that, too."

"Mom, it's okay. Really. So what if I couldn't go to school back in Nevis? You still taught me everything I needed to learn at home." He turned Rachel's face so that they were looking directly at each other. He smiled at her. "I couldn't have asked for a better teacher. Besides, I'm going to school now, thanks to your decision to come here." He looked away for a moment, before returning his eyes to hers. "Sure, it sucks that I'm an illegitimate child, but I'm glad you brought me into this world." He squeezed her hands. "So please, Mom, don't blame yourself."

She smiled sadly at him, before nodding. "What did I ever do to deserve a son like you?" she whispered.

"Mom. I promise, someday we're getting out of here. We're going to live on our own, with no rich people bossing us around. We'll be independent. Sure, we won't be filthy rich, but we'll survive." She smiled at her son's determination. "Just you wait."

"I'll wait then."

* * *

A/N: For those of you who are asking, yes, this will be a muti-chapter fic. And Person, that's really cool, what you did! I'm also glad you enjoyed this!


	3. Chapter 3: Squabble Squad

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I recently came back from a trip to China. _AwkwardJello is coming home…_ ok I'll stop. I do not own the lyrics used in this chapter. They belong to Lin-Manuel Miranda. I just cut some of the lines because they didn't seem to fit the situation.

* * *

NYC Prep was one of those schools that was mostly attended by rich kids. So going there wasn't easy for someone as penniless as Alex. Not only were his classmates wealthy af, but some of them were also pricks about it. Take Thomas Jefferson, for example. He was from one of the wealthiest families in New York, and he wasted no time in rubbing that into his peers' faces. He was also powerful socially, being one of the most popular kids in the school. Alex stayed away from him at all times because if Thomas found out about his… status, he would definitely do whatever it took to make Alex's life miserable.

Luckily, no one really knew Alex was a poor-ass bastard, so he was safe… for now.

Alex got up early in the morning like he always did. The few servants who lived in the mansion all shared one bathroom, so Alex had to make sure he got there first. He brushed his teeth and donned his school uniform, which was a sweater vest on top of a white shirt and gray trousers. Alex made sure the white shirt had long sleeves, so that they would cover the bruises that were no longer there(he washed them off when he took a shower last night). His breakfast was a piece of toast and a milk carton he managed to snatch from the kitchen. After gulping down the food, he made his way to the door, when Henry stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?" the man asked.

"I'm going to school, sir," Alex answered.

Henry glared at him. "And leave your master behind? I don't think so."

Alex ended up waiting for John to finish _his_ breakfast, which was more fulfilling than the measly piece of toast Alex had earlier. When he did, he and Alex walked together to the car waiting for them.

"The servant must always stay with his master," Henry had scolded Alex before Alex got into the car. John's other siblings then piled into the car with them.

The ride to school was pretty awkward. Alex found himself sitting next to John's younger brothers, who were probably wondering what the strange boy next to them was doing here in their own car. Even better, the butler driving them had to drop off the younger kids first, before dropping off John and Alex.

First, they dropped off the 5-year-old at his kindergarten. Then the 7-year-old at his elementary school. Then the 11-year-old girl at her middle school. Finally, John and Alex at their high school.

Alex waited for John to get out first, then hurriedly got out of the car himself.

"Johnny!" A blonde girl ran up to John and hugged his waist. Her blue eyes twinkled as she smiled up at him. "Did you miss me? I know I did," she said flirtatiously.

"Hey Martha," John greeted her. The girl pecked him on the cheek. Alex scoffed and looked away. Martha Manning. John Laurens' fiancée. From what Alexander heard, it was an arranged marriage sort of thing. Alex wouldn't be surprised if a third of his classmates were also unavailable because they were already married off for business purposes.

Martha noticed Alex standing not too far from the couple. "Oh, and who's this?" Oh crap. She must've seen Alex get out of John's car.

 _No no no, I can't let her know I'm her boyfriend's slave. Come on, Alex, think of something._

"This is Alexander." _Shit. I forgot about John. Here it comes…_ "He's a friend of mine. I was giving him a ride." _Wait, WHAT?!_

Martha frowned. "Does he not have his own ride?" _No, no I don't._

"Well, Alex's family wants to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, y'know, with global climate change and all. So they asked my dad if Alex could carpool with us," John quickly explained.

Martha nodded. "I see. That's really nice of you, Johnny. Now come on. We don't want to be late for school." She linked her arm with John's and pulled him toward the school doors. As they walked away, John looked over his shoulder and winked at Alex. Then he turned his head, and disappeared into the school.

 _He's on my side. But why?_ Once again, this boy's kindness befuddled Alex. He shrugged it off for now, and went to class.

* * *

Classes sped by pretty quickly for Alexander, and soon it was lunchtime. One of his everyday nuisances was finding a good lunch seat. For an elite school, it was surprisingly hard to find a spot in the cafeteria where the students surrounding Alex weren't rowdy or bothersome. All the popular kids gathered at the center of the lunchroom, exchanging gossip and making fun of whoever they considered losers. If you were someone like Alex, you would definitely want to sit as far away from them as possible.

Alex sat down in a seemingly quiet corner, and thought he was safe here. But then the couple sitting right across from him started making out, and after enduring it for three seconds, he moved to a different table.

This table was empty, except for one other boy who was silently eating his mac and cheese. As Alex approached the table, the boy looked up. He had dark eyes and a shaved head.

"Pardon me," Alex said. "But could I sit here?" _Pardon me? Who says 'Pardon me' nowadays? Stupid Alex._

The boy nodded. "Sure."

Alex sat next to him, and the two ate in silence for a while, until Alex heard a bout of laughter coming from two tables away. He looked over and saw John sitting with Martha, who had both hands wrapped around his shoulders. There were also two other boys with them. One of them had his dark, curly hair in a bun, and the other wore a beanie on his head. The boy with the beanie whispered something to John, and he laughed again. That melodious laugh…

"Rowdy bunch, aren't they?" Alex jumped when the boy next to him spoke.

"Huh?"

"Those three." He pointed over at John's table. "Always so wild." When Alex didn't reply, the boy smiled and extended his hand. "Aaron Burr. Senior."

Alex shook Burr's hand. "Alexander Hamilton at your service, sir. Junior." The older boy chuckled at the formalities.

"You're a commoner, aren't you?" Alex stiffened. "It's okay. I'm not exactly rich myself."

Now Alex was curious. "Really? But I thought only rich people attend this school."

"Correction. Rich and _smart_ people attend this school." Burr turned back to his food. "I got a scholarship here. I'm assuming you did as well?" Alex stayed silent. Burr changed the subject. "Do rich folks piss you off too?"

"Yeah, actually. They think they're more important than everyone else, but really they're just a bunch of narcissistic stuck-ups."

Burr nodded. "I can relate." He thought for a moment, then asked Alex, "Say, are you good at arguing?"

Alex perked up. "Hell yeah! I can come up with some top-notch arguments off the top of my head." He grinned and rubbed his hands together evilly. "The expressions on my opponents' faces are always _priceless_."

Burr smiled crookedly. "If you're that confident in yourself, you should consider joining Squabble Squad."

Alex almost choked on his lunch. "Squabble Squad?"

"It's a casual debate club. No nationals or any of that fancy stuff. We just chill and argue. But it can also get really intense, especially if you're facing off against one of the elite."

"Elite?"

Burr leaned forward. "They're the best members in the club. Not only are they swift thinkers, but they're also _really_ passionate when it comes to their arguments. So passionate that you can practically start a fire with it." He whispered, "Their names are Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Angelica Schuyler."

Alex's interest in the club began to waver. Sure, Squabble Squad sounded like fun, but he didn't want to get involved with people like Jefferson.

Burr sensed Alexander's hesitation, and added, "It would be nice to have a fellow commoner on my side. Who knows, maybe we could roast Jefferson together."

"I'll think about it."

Burr nodded. "Squabble Squad meets twice a week, 3 to 4. Mr. Washington's classroom, Room 1780."

"Once again, I'll consider it," Alex restated. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period.

"Please do," Burr said, before getting up and throwing out his tray. Alex watched as he passed by John's table.

"Well, if it ain't the prodigy of Princeton Middle School!" John called out when he saw Burr. Burr rolled his eyes and ignored them.

Alex stood up and also tossed out the remains of his lunch. He locked eyes with John for a moment, before hurrying to class.

On his way to his next class, someone shoved past him in the hallway, making Alex slam his head into a nearby locker. He recovered and glared at the person who pushed him.

 _Out of all the assholes in the world._ Thomas Jefferson. Senior. The older boy didn't even apologize. He just continued laughing and gossiping with his friends, paying no attention to Alex. Alex took in a deep breath. _Don't punch him don't punch him don't punch him._

Thomas' attention shifted from his friends to someone else, who Alex saw was a young girl who looked no older than 14. She had been trailing behind Thomas like a child would with their mother, but now she cowered away as he turned his gaze to her. An evil smile spread across Thomas' face.

"Sally darling, can you please fetch my books for me?" Thomas asked innocently.

It was clear the girl was trembling in fear. "Y-yes sir," she squeaked. She walked towards Thomas' locker, and as she did, Thomas tripped her. The girl fell and he laughed, his friends joining in. Tears formed in Sally's eyes. Alex clenched his fists.

"Oh no. Are you going to cry because of your boo boo?" Thomas said to her mockingly. "You're gonna embarrass me in front of my friends." Said friends snickered.

 _That's it._ Alex strode up to the poor girl and reached out his hand. "Here," he said. Sally sniffled before she took it, and he helped pull her up. "You okay?" The girl nodded.

"Thank you," she whispered, before scurrying off to Thomas' locker.

Alex then faced Thomas, who had stopped laughing when he saw the kind deed. "Why'd you ruin the fun?" Thomas demanded.

Alex placed his hands on his hips and glared back at him. "You call pushing younger girls around fun?"

"She's my servant."

" _She_ is a human. And so are you. So the next time you decide to boss someone around, just remember you're worth no more than they are."

Thomas was fuming. He took a menacing step towards Alex, who stepped back. "Why you—" He took a deep breath. "No, I am a refined gentleman. I do not start fights with savages."

"Well, _this_ savage has to get to class now. Good day, _sir_." Alex did a mock bow and hurried off before Thomas could change his mind about punching him.

* * *

Alexander stood in front of Room 1780, pondering on whether or not he should enter. Burr had told him anyone could come in if they wanted to join Squabble Squad, so joining shouldn't be too hard. It wasn't joining that Alex was worried about, though. It was staying. Staying would mean having to put up with Jefferson, and any other annoying rich kids in there.

Alex sighed, and turned the doorknob. _I'll just have to roast all of them to oblivion._ He entered, and immediately the buzzing in the room died down. All heads turned to look at the newcomer. For a moment, there was silence, until the last person Alex wanted to see spoke.

"Well, well, well," Thomas sneered. "Look who decided to come. Sorry kid, but babies aren't allowed in here." Everyone bursted into laughter, until a voice silenced them.

"Geez, Thomas, leave him alone." It was a tall girl who was sitting beside Thomas. Her wavy hair was black, and her skin was a pretty shade of brown. She had plump rosy lips and sharp brown eyes.

"You don't have to such a killjoy, Angie. I was just messing with him."

The girl crossed her arms. "Doesn't look like that to me." She crossed the room to Alex, and stuck out her hand. "Welcome to Squabble Squad, newbie. My name is Angelica Schuyler." Alex shook it, and she gestured to Thomas. "That dickhead back there is Thomas Jefferson. You don't need to pay him any attention."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Come on, Angie. You know you love me," he said playfully.

Angelica crossed her arms. "I'm taken, and so are you."

Just then, a tall man walked into the room. If it wasn't quiet before when Alex walked in, it was dead silent now. The man was pretty big, and bald. His eyes scanned the room like a hawk's and landed on Alex.

"Ah, looks like someone wants to join Squabble Squad." Alex noticed a gap in the man's two front teeth. The man, like Angelica, walked up to Alex and shook his hand. "Welcome to Squabble Squad. I'm the teacher, Mr. Washington."

"What's your name, man?" It was Burr. Seeing him gave Alex more confidence, knowing he at least had a friend here, if he could call Burr that.

"Alexander Hamilton," Alex said. "My name is Alexander Hamilton."

"Yeah yeah you don't need to say it twice. We got it the first time," Thomas said impatiently.

"Now, since it's Squabble Squad, let's see how good you are at debating with your fellow members," Mr. Washington said. He scanned the room. "Anyone want to face off against Alexander?"

"I do." Thomas had a malicious look in his eyes as he walked up to them and looked down at Alex. Alex held back a gulp. He stood up a little taller and stared evenly back at Thomas.

"Oh boy," Burr muttered.

"Thomas, try not to kill him," Angelica said. "It's just his first day." She patted Alex on the shoulder. "Good luck." She sat back down, and Thomas sneered at Alex.

"We'll see if you really belong here, Hamilton," he whispered.

"Alright, we will be doing a simulation of a Cabinet Meeting," Mr. Washington declared. "The issue on the table: America has recently won a war against Britain, but now they are in debt. One secretary wants to assume state debt and establish a national bank." He looked between the two boys. "Who's for it and who's against?"

"For," Alex said, at the same time Thomas said, "Against."

Mr. Washington smiled. "Glad there's no fighting over the positions. Because if that happens, it's first come, first serve. Alright, Secretary Jefferson, you have the floor, sir."

Thomas cleared his throat. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," he started in a rap-like fashion. "We fought for these ideals, we shouldn't settle for less. But Hamilton forgets! His plan would have the government assume states' debts. Now, place your bets as to who that benefits." Thomas narrowed his eyes at Alex. "The very seat of government where Hamilton sits."

"Not true!" Alex yelled.

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Oh, if the shoe fits, wear it. If New York's in debt, why should Virginia bear it?" he asked, using his home state at an example. "Uh, our debts are paid, I'm afraid. Don't tax the south 'cuz we got it made in the shade." He smirked before continuing, "In Virginia, we plant seeds in the ground; we create. You just want to move our money around." Thomas made a swirling motion with his finger, then poked it at Alex's chest. "Look, when Britain taxed our tea, we got frisky. Imagine what's gonna happen when you try to tax our whiskey."

"Ooohhh," the entire class said. Burr looked nervously at Alex.

Alex had been taking note of the pros and cons of Jefferson's point of view, and he quickly formed a counter argument in his head. He winked at Burr. _I got this._

"Thank you, Secretary Jefferson," Mr. Washington said. "Secretary Hamilton, your response."

Alex smiled. "Thomas, that was a real nice declaration. Welcome to the present! We're running a real nation. Would you like to join us or stay mellow, doing whatever the hell it is you do in Monticello?" If Alex's sources were correct, Jefferson did in fact live in Monticello for a while before moving to New York. "If we assume the debts, the Union gets a new line of credit. A financial diuretic." He glared at Jefferson. "How do you not get it? If we're aggressive and competitive, the Union gets a boost. You'd rather give it a sedative?" Alex had caught another flaw in Jefferson's argument, and he decided to use it. "A civics lesson from a slaver. Hey neighbor! Your debts are paid because you don't pay for labor."

"'We plant seeds in the South; we create!'" Alex imitated in a deep voice. Several students, including Burr, snickered. "Then keep ranting." He got in Jefferson's face. "We know who's really doing the planting."

"Whoo!" the other Squabble Squad members cheered. Jefferson's face had gone red, with embarrassment, or rage, or even both.

Washington smiled. "Looks like we have a winner. Unless you want to say something else, Thomas?"

Jefferson stammered. "I-I—"

Alex smirked. "Guess I belong here after all," he said smugly. Jefferson shot daggers at him, and stalked back to his seat, which was next to a shorter boy with a box of tissues on his desk. Alex went to sit with Burr.

"Damn, you roasted him pretty bad," Burr commented.

Alex sat back in his seat and grinned proudly. "You can say that." Just then, Angelica joined the two boys, sitting in front of them.

"I gotta say, Alexander, I'm impressed," she said. "I've never seen anyone beat Thomas before. Except for me."

"That's because I went easy on you, Angie!" Jefferson yelled from his seat.

Angelica snorted. "Oh please! I _destroyed_ you!" She smirked at Alex. "You should've seen his face when I won. It was—"

" _Priceless_ ," she and Alex said at the same time, making them laugh.

"What was your debate with him about?" Alex asked.

Angelica smiled. "Women's rights. You can obviously tell which side I was on."

"I can tell." The two stared at each other for a moment, before Burr cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

A small blush appeared on Angelica's face before she recovered and turned to Burr. "Burr! Didn't see you there! Not grabbing for my attention this time?"

Burr looked away. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

Angelica smirked. "Nope." Alex gave her a confused look, and she explained, "He tried to hit on me once."

" _Oh._ " Alex looked at Burr with a smug look on his face. "Burr, I didn't know you were the type of person who flirted!"

Burr's face flushed red. "It was just one time, Angelica. _One time._ "

"You need to think up better pick up lines, Burr," Angelica said, shaking her head in amusement. "'Your perfume smells like your daddy's got money?' Seriously?"

Burr and Angelica heard a laugh, and turned to Alex, who had lost it. "Hahahaha! Burr, you actually said that? Hahaha!"

"Alright Alexander, that's enough," Burr said.

"Oh Burr, you're not reliable with the ladies."

"I doubt you're any better at picking up chicks than I am," Burr muttered.

"Oh, I don't know. I can be pretty charming," Alex bragged.

Burr rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Angelica smiled at Alexander. "Welcome to Squabble Squad, Alex," she said, then whispered, "You don't mind if I call you that, right?"

"No, I don't mind. But why are you saying welcome again? You guys said that twice to me already."

"Yeah, but this time, we really mean it. You really do belong here."

Alex grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem."

The three of them exchanged some more friendly banter, before it was time to go home. Alex ended up walking with Angelica to the school entrance, where two other girls were waiting. The taller girl had straight black hair that fell a little past her shoulders, while the shorter one had her curly brown hair in a ponytail.

"Angie, you're here!" the shorter girl cried when she saw Angelica.

"Hey, little sis," Angelica greeted, ruffling the younger girl's hair.

The black-haired girl looked up and smiled at Angelica. She was about to say something, when her brown eyes landed on Alex. The girl froze, and continued staring at him.

"Eliza and I have been waiting for you for—" Peggy checked the clock on the wall. "—five minutes. Isn't that right, Eliza? Eliza?" Peggy snapped her fingers in front of Eliza's face. "Eliza? Earth to Eliza!"

Eliza finally came back to her senses. "Huh? What?"

In order to save her sister the embarrassment, Angelica cut straight to the point. "Eliza, Peggy, this is Alex," she introduced. "Alex, these are my sisters."

Alex, who had been standing there awkwardly watching the three sisters reunite, waved. "Hi."

"Hi," Eliza squeaked back. "I-I'm Eliza." She offered her hand for him to shake, which he was about to, when Peggy barreled into Alex.

"AND PEGGY!" she screamed. They all laughed at her antics.

"Let's all go home, guys," Angelica said. She herded her sisters out the door, and looked back and waved. "Bye, Alex!"

"Bye!" Alex said, waving back.

"Bye! It was nice meeting you!" Peggy yelled, followed by a much quieter "Bye" from Eliza.

Alex started his walk home. John had already left with his car, since he didn't have any club activities. So Alex had to take the subway back to the mansion. As he walked to the subway station, he felt the cool November breeze on his face, and autumn leaves blew around his feet. Everything felt normal again, except this time, Alex didn't feel quite so lonely.

He smiled to himself. _I actually made friends today. I also made an enemy, but I made_ friends _!_ Maybe life wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

A/N:As you can see, I am terrible at debate, and I was too lazy to come up with actual arguments, so I used lyrics from the musical. Until the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4: She Tells Her Story

A/N:Up until this point, I was using a Hamilton biography book I borrowed from the library for reference, so that this fanfic would have some historical accuracy. Unfortunately, I had to return it because my time with it was up. So now I'm just using whatever I remembered from the book.

Once again, thank you to those who left reviews! They really do keep me going, especially now that school is here and I'm constantly weighed down by homework R.I.P:') Shout out to Blue for writing the longest review that I've ever received for any of my fanfics, which makes me really happy:)

* * *

Eleanor Ball-Laurens was normally understanding and patient when it came to the servants around her house, but being pregnant was making her more irritable than usual. The mother of four and soon-to-be mother of five was currently strolling through the mansion with her oldest son, who happened to be John. One of Eleanor's arms was being supported by John's, while the other was resting on her pregnant belly. When Eleanor was 20 weeks pregnant, she and her husband had held a gender reveal party.

"So, John, what do you think will make a good name for your new sister?" Eleanor asked. Yup, the baby turned out to be female.

"I don't really know, to be honest," John admitted. "I'm not an expert on names for girls. Although Martha says she wants to name our daughter Frances if we ever have one."

Eleanor nodded thoughtfully, her head of honey blonde curls bouncing slightly at the motion. "Frances. That's a lovely name." She smiled at John. "So, how are you and Martha doing? Good, I hope?"

John nodded like a robot. "Yeah," came his automatic reply.

"You must be, since you're already coming up with names for your children."

"It's mostly just Martha. I'm focusing on school first before I get into marriage."

"That's a good decision. You don't want to fail high school, after all." She chuckled. "But remember: you'll be inheriting your father's business one day, and then you'll pass it on to your child. So you might want to start thinking about getting us a future heir," she joked.

John shrugged, to his mother's disappointment. "I'll think about it."

Eleanor sighed. "Okay."

John looked around at their surroundings. Their leisure walk had ended up taking them to the ballroom. Which reminded John of something. _I wonder how Alex is doing_ , he thought. _Hopefully it's not_ too _cold out._

John was planning to wait for Alexander at school so that they could go home together. But Alex had wanted to check something out. Something about squabbling and debate. He told John to leave without him, as he was going to be home one hour later. John couldn't help but feel guilty as the car drove away from the school, leaving Alex to walk home by himself.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, snapping John out of his thoughts and making both him and his mother jump. A young maid was hastily cleaning up a broken vase she had knocked over when she was dusting it.

She looked up, and her eyes widened when they saw Eleanor and John. "I'm so sorry, ma'am," she apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to break it. I'll clean it up right away."

John saw his mother's eye twitching, which wasn't a good sign. Usually, Eleanor would accept the apology and move on, but this time she was merciless.

"Do you know how much that vase costed me?" she growled. The girl shrunk back from her. "All the money I put into it, now gone because of your clumsiness!"

"Mother, please calm down," John said, attempting to help the maid. "It was an accident. Besides, it's just a vase."

Big mistake. Eleanor turned on him. "Just a vase? JUST A VASE?!" But before she could continue to blow her top off on John, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them and spoke again, her voice was softer. "I'm sorry, John, it's just… _these hormones_. They make me so frustrated…" She gave the trembling maid an apologetic look. "Forgive me for my vile behavior. You will not be penalized for this. Just clean it up." The maid nodded, her eyes still wide in fear. Eleanor smiled reassuringly at the girl. "Once again, I am truly sorry. Do carry on with your activities."

"I-it's alright, m-ma'am," the girl stammered. She rushed to clean up the broken vase, as John and his mother walked off.

"Oh my, I scared that poor girl pretty badly, didn't I?" Eleanor fretted.

"It's okay, Mother," John said. "You're just under a lot of stress because of the baby."

"That doesn't justify me yelling at everyone I cross paths with." Eleanor sighed, and John smiled at his mother's integrity. "I think I'll go rest in bed now."

"That's probably a good decision." John guided his mom up the stairs to his parents' bedroom, which was farther down the hall than John's room.

"Master John." John turned at his name, and saw a middle-aged woman walking up to him. Her skin had a slight tan and her brown hair was up in a neat bun. There was something familiar about this woman. Her chocolate brown eyes reminded John of—

 _Alex._ Of course. Whenever John saw Alex, he was either by himself, or with this woman. _His mother. He does take after her._

The woman stopped before John, and curtsied. She smiled politely at John. "Master John."

Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the woman. "I'm sorry, but what business do you have with my son?"

Alex's mother noticed Eleanor standing next to John, and curtsied for her. "Mrs. Laurens."

"I will repeat myself." Eleanor's voice was cold and cautious. "What do you want with my son?"

The woman looked taken aback. "I… wanted to talk to him."

"My son will have nothing to do with a whore like you." Alexander's mother stiffened at the word.

John quickly spun towards his mom. "Mother!"

"I-I see," the maid said quietly.

"Come now, John." Eleanor grabbed her son's arm and marched him away, leaving the maid to stand alone in the hallway.

"Mother, you can't just use that word like that!" John hissed when he and Eleanor were alone in his parents' bedroom. His mother didn't seem to hear him, though.

"Stay away from that woman, John," Eleanor cautioned. "She is a bad influence."

"You don't even know her!"

"I know enough _about_ her!" Eleanor snapped. "She cheated on her husband, John, and she had a child with her lover." John fell silent. Eleanor laid on her bed, suddenly looking tired. "I just don't want that type of behavior to spread to you, John. You know how important your marriage with Martha is, don't you?"

John nodded. "I know. It'll join our fathers' businesses together, not to mention her chance to marry into a rich family."

"And I don't want anything to happen to it." Eleanor's gaze softened. "Mother only wants the best for you."

John smiled back at her. "I know. Thanks, Mom. Rest well."

"I'll be down for dinner later," she said. Her eyes fluttered close, and soon she was fast asleep. John gently closed the door behind him, and went to his room to do his homework. He couldn't really concentrate, though, as his mind kept coming back to what he had learned about Alex's parents.

 _So his mom cheated on his dad. I wonder what happened to Alex's father._ John continued staring at his paper. _Ugh, stupid thesis essay._ He glanced at the clock on his wall. _4:02. Hmm, I wonder if Alex is back yet. Maybe I could ask him for help on this essay. He does seem pretty good at writing._

John decided to go downstairs to check in on Alex. He stopped in front of the door he often saw Alex disappear into, and knocked. The door opened to reveal Alex's mom on the other side.

She blinked in surprise when she saw John. "Yes?" she asked.

"Good evening, ma'am. Is Alex here?" John asked.

She shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him." She bit her lip worriedly. "He's not usually out this late."

"Oh! He didn't tell you?" The woman gave John a confused look. "Alex wanted to check out some club. He should be back any minute now."

Alex's mother breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness." She looked around hesitantly. "Would you… like to come in and wait for him here?"

"Oh, sure!" John stepped inside, and was shocked at how small the room was. It was half the size of John's bedroom, with two small cots lined up on opposite walls. The sheets on the cots looked pretty thin to John, and the only other furniture in the room was a single nightstand, where a lonely lamp sat, in between the two cots. John awkwardly stood at the foot of one of the beds, while Alex's mom sat down on the other bed.

"So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about before?" John asked, breaking the silence.

Alex's mom was silent, before she said quietly, "I… wanted to thank you. For sparing my son."

"Oh, no problem! It's no big deal, I would've done the same for anyone."

She smiled. "It is a big deal to me." She looked down at her lap. "Alex… hasn't had the best childhood. He used to be tormented a lot by the people around him, so I'm glad someone like you decided to help him instead."

"Hey, about what happened before." She looked up. "I'm sorry about what my mom said to you. She's a super nice woman, I swear. She's just a bit cranky right now."

Alexander's mother looked back down at her hands. "She's not wrong, though," she said softly. "It's true I was unfaithful to my husband. I deserve it." Her voice was so heavy with sadness, John found himself crossing the room, which took him three strides, to sit down next to her.

"You seem like a good person to me." She looked up in surprise. "It's not fair, how everyone judges you without even bothering to get to know you first." John thought carefully about his next words. He was treading on some thin ice now. "I know this is a bit personal, but if you ever feel you don't have a say in things when it comes to your—" he made a hand gesture—"affair, feel free to tell me your side of the story."

"I have been wanting to tell someone for a while," she admitted. "But nobody wanted to listen to me because they all saw me for a slut." Her voice broke slightly at the last word. "I just wished I had someone out there who would give me a chance to explain myself." John placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well, now you do. You can start when you're ready, Mrs. Hamilton."

She was quiet for a moment. "It's actually Ms. Fawcett. I used to be Mrs. Rachel Fawcett Lavien. But now I'm just Ms. Rachel Fawcett."

John's brain processed the information. Oh. _Oh._ "Go on."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I was visiting relatives in Nevis, when I met a merchant named Johann Michael Lavien. He became infatuated with me, and asked for my hand in marriage. My mother, thinking he was rich, forced me to marry him." She twisted her hands. "I was a teenager, and he was at least ten years older than me.

"I never loved Lavien, and for a good reason. He didn't manage his money well, and when he ran out of it, he used up mine as well. I was still fairly young when I gave birth to our son, Peter. I didn't want anything to do with being a mother, so I left my husband for care for our son alone, and I started seeing other men." She put her head in her hands. "I was so rebellious back then, so I paid it no attention. But now, I just feel _so_ _guilty_ for abandoning my own firstborn like that. I'm such a horrible person."

 _Yikes. That was a pretty bad thing to do._ But John didn't say so. Instead, he calmly nodded.

"Lavien was angry, and had me jailed for adultery. He was hoping that by putting me in prison, I would submit to him. He was wrong, because I stayed strong(aye that rhymes!). When I was finally released, I left him, and moved to St. Kitts.

"It was there that I met a handsome Scotsman. His name was James Hamilton." A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. "It was love at first sight. I felt so, so _helpless_ around him." She sighed, sounding very much like a maiden in love. "And I knew he felt the same about me. I moved in with him, but I couldn't marry him, since I never divorced my first husband. Even if we did get married, the Church would have considered it invalid.

"So whenever someone asked, we lied and told them we were husband and wife. Before long, I had given birth to our first son, who we named James Jr., after his father. Two years later, our second son was born."

"Alex," John said. Rachel nodded.

"For a while, we were happy, just the four of us. We didn't have much, but it was enough for me to have a family who I loved very much." Her wistful smile slowly faded. "Then disaster came, in the form of my old husband. Lavien had found a mistress, who wanted to marry him. But in order to do that, he needed a proper divorce from me. So he charged me with adultery. Only, I wasn't at the address he sent the charges to. So I didn't even know about them until people started whispering behind my back.

"Lavien ended up divorcing me and remarrying, while the court ruled that I wasn't allowed to remarry because of my crimes. I was branded a whore, and we had to move due to my reputation." She sniffed. "When he found out about my new family, Lavien called Alex and James whorechildren.

"Everything started falling apart after that. It turned out James, the man who I had come to love and cherish as if he was my husband, was just as bad at finances as Lavien was. Soon, he accumulated too much debt to pay it off. I guessed that, along with the burden of having two illegitimate children, was just too much for him." John saw her eyes getting shiny. "Eventually, we separated, and James left to collect a debt in St. Croix." Her voice grew quiet. "He never came back."

"I'm so sorry," John said.

Rachel smiled at him. "No need to pity me. I'm okay now.

"After James left, I ran a small grocery store in order to keep _some_ income flowing. Alex helped out as a cashier, while James took an interest in the carpentry trade. But then I contracted yellow fever, and was too weak do my job properly. The only source of income we had was from the job James had as a carpenter's apprentice.

"One day, a man came to our door. He told us he worked for someone by the name of Henry Laurens." John's eyes widened. "According to the man, a man named James Hamilton had been borrowing a ton of money from several of Mr. Laurens' investors(Am I using this word correctly? I don't know shit about business sry), and that he hadn't paid them back yet. The man then proceeded to ask if I knew anything about James' whereabouts. I answered no.

"This eventually led to Mr. Laurens finding out about my illness, and he made me an offer. He would pay for my treatment, on the condition that I come to America to work for him as a maid for however long he wanted."

The puzzle pieces in John's head were slowly clicking together.

"I took Alex with me, but James wanted to stay behind and continue his apprenticeship. We said our goodbyes and, well, the rest is history," Rachel concluded her story.

John stared at her, speechless. "Wow," he whispered. "You've been through a lot, you and Alex."

Rachel nodded and smiled at him. "We have." She looked at him worriedly. "You won't judge Alex, right? Just because of his…" She trailed off, but John caught onto what she was saying.

"No, no I won't. He seems like a pretty nice guy."

She smiled fondly. "He really is a sweet boy." She hesitated, before saying, "I have a little request for you."

John leaned forward. "Yes?"

"I don't know how else to say this, but please protect Alex. I've seen what you did for my son, so I'm asking you, if I can't keep him safe, will you—?"

"You have my word, Ms. Fawcett. I promise, I won't let anything happen to Alex," John vowed.

Just then, the door opened.

"Mom," Alex said as he came in. "I'm ba—" His smile faded when he saw John. "Oh. Hey, John."

"Alex, hi," John greeted him cheerfully.

"Alex, honey, you're home," Rachel said. "John was waiting for you, you know."

Alex's uncomfortable gaze turned into a confused one. "He was?"

John sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kinda need help on my essay and was hoping you could… help me?" For some reason, John's voice ended on a shy squeak.

"Um, sure." Alex looked at his mother. "Mom, I'll be back, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

John got up and headed to the door. Before he exited, he turned back to look at Rachel. "It was nice talking to you, Ms. Fawcett. I'm glad you told me."

She smiled bashfully. "Please, call me Rachel."

John smiled back at her. "Good night, Rachel." Alex looked between the two of them, looking even more confused and suspicious.

The two boys went upstairs to John's room. As they walked up the stairs, John said, "You know, Alex, if you ever need anything, just tell me, okay?"

Alex frowned. "Um, okay…"

"I mean it," John insisted. "Heck, if you even _want_ something, don't be afraid to ask."

Alex nodded in an unsure manner. When they reached the top of the stairs, he gathered up the courage to ask, "What did my mom tell you?"

"Hm?"

"You guys seemed to be talking before I came in. What were you talking about?"

John hesitated. Alex would probably not be happy if he found out John had been digging into his past. "I'm not sure you would like to know…"

"What could my mom possibly talk about with you that she wouldn't talk about with me?" John jumped at the sharp tone in Alex's voice. Alex seemed just as surprised, and his eyes widened in horror. "I'm sorry," he apologized, but he sounded more scared than genuinely sorry.

"Hey it's okay. You don't have to apologize for everything," John quickly assured him.

"Seriously, though." They reached John's room. "What did she tell you?" Alex asked softly.

John sighed. Alex did have a right to know. "She told me about her life in Nevis." John saw Alex visibly stiffen in front of the door. "And… she told me about your—"

Alex yanked the door open and rushed inside. John followed suit.

"Well, where's your essay at?" Alex said, his voice tense.

"It's over here." John gestured to the paper on his desk. "I need help with my conclusion."

After helping peer edit John's essay, Alex stood up to go, when John grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Alex. Look, if you're worried I'm gonna judge you because of your status you're wrong—"

"You think I'm _ashamed_ of my illegitimacy?" Alex snapped. He glared at John, and yanked his arm away. "For your information, I'm _proud_ to be a Hamilton. So I don't need your pity."

John was taken aback. "What do you mean? I never—"

Alex crossed his arms. "I get that you want to help me, but I don't need it." Without another word to John, he stormed out, leaving John dazed.

* * *

A/N:I was going to segue to a flashback but it got really long, so I'm saving it for the next chapter. Stay tuned...


	5. Chapter 5: The Revolutionary Set

_John had been in his room, playing Roblox on his computer, when he decided to use the bathroom. He walked out into the hallway, just as he heard the door open. Assuming it was just his dad coming home from work, he continued on to the bathroom. When he came out, he went back to his room. Little did John know, that was the day the Laurens household gained two new residents._

 _Eventually, John's mother, who was 8 months pregnant with John's future little brother, called him downstairs for dinner. John, reluctant to pull away from his computer, obeyed and came downstairs. On his way there, he passed a maid who he didn't remember seeing before. Then again, John never really paid attention to any of the maids and butlers in his house, so he ignored her._

 _John scarfed down his dinner, and was going to go back upstairs to resume his game. However, as he walked into his room, he remembered he had a summer reading due on the first day of school, which was next week._

Nah, I'll do it tomorrow _, he decided. With that, he continued his game. After a while, John brushed his teeth and went to bed._

 _The next morning, John headed to the library on the second floor to look for the book he was supposed to read(he hadn't started it yet)._

" _What do you think you're doing, young man?" John heard as he entered the library. It was his father._

" _I-I'm reading, sir," John heard an unfamiliar voice say. Curious, he peeked around a bookshelf._

 _There, sitting at the wooden table at the center of the library, was a strange boy John had never seen before. He looked around John's age, eleven years old. The boy had messy brown hair that looked like it needed a haircut, and deep brown eyes that stared nonchalantly back at Henry, who was standing over the boy like a hawk would with its prey. Despite the way the boy lifted his chin up bravely, John was pretty sure he saw the boy slightly trembling under Henry's stern gaze._

" _Is this your house, boy?" Henry snapped. The boy pursed his lips. "When I speak to you, you answer me!" he roared._

" _No, sir," the boy responded quietly. John immediately felt sorry for him. He wanted to rush to the boy's rescue, but to be honest, he, too, was a little scared of his father. So, being the coward he was, John continued to watch._

" _I let you stay here for the time being, and this is how you thank me?" Henry said in disgust. "Disgraceful." He stalked out of the library, not noticing John._

 _The boy, alone now, stared down at the open book in his lap and pursed his lips. He took a few deep breaths before looking cautiously around the library. John ducked behind the shelf to avoid being seen. When he was sure the coast was clear, the boy got up and left the library, taking the book with him._

 _His summer reading forgotten now, John followed the boy out of the library, keeping a safe distance. As much as John wanted to talk to the boy, he was pretty sure popping up suddenly in his face and introducing himself wasn't exactly a good approach._

 _The boy briskly walked down the stairs. John was about to follow, when a high-pitched voice called out._

" _John!" Marty called out. John's six-year-old sister came running up to him, stumbling a little due to her short legs. Like John, she also had freckles and light brown curls. "Come play with me!"_

 _The boy was already at the bottom of the stairs, but he looked up at the sound of Marty's voice. For a moment, he and John shared brief eye contact, before he continued on his way to, well, wherever he was going. The boy's speed seemed to pick up after that._

" _John?" Marty asked. "Joooohn!" She beat her little fists on his legs, trying to get his attention._

" _Oh, hey Marty. Sorry, didn't see you there," John said, smiling down at his sister. She pouted._

" _That's because you're taller than me! No fair!" She grabbed John's hand. "Now come play with me! Henry and I can't play Rescue if we don't have a dragon. Please?" She stuck out her bottom lip and made sad puppy eyes._

 _John sighed. "Okay, I'll play with you and Henry for a while."_

 _Marty beamed. "Yay! Come on! Henry is waiting in the toy room, let's_ go _!" John smiled and shook his head as Marty led him away to their toy room._

* * *

" _Hey, Father," John asked his dad during dinner time._

 _Henry looked up from his ham. "Yes, John?"_

" _There was a boy today in the house," John said. "Who is he?"_

" _He's no one important, John," Henry answered almost immediately._

" _But—"_

" _Don't exert yourself worrying about him," his father interrupted, more firmly this time. "He is no one significant."_

" _What boy?" Marty piped up, catching up on the conversation. "Is he handsome?" she asked eagerly. Marty was at an age where she thought any boy who wasn't one of her brothers was a potential Prince Charming._

" _He's just the son of one of the maids," Henry said. Then, as if reading his daughter's naïve mind, he added, "He's not someone you would want to marry."_

 _Marty pouted, obviously disappointed. Meanwhile, John was deep in thought._

I wonder which maid is his mom _, he thought, thinking of the unfamiliar maid he saw yesterday. Then he remembered his father giving the boy a hard time in the library._ Why doesn't Dad want to talk about him? I know he's not too fond of servants, but he seemed to really dislike that boy. Hmmm… _John continued picking at his peas, as other questions flashed through his head._ What's that boy's name? Where is he from? What's he doing here?

" _Here's your dessert, Master John." John looked up in surprise at the sound of a British accent. The butler placed a bowl of ice cream in front of John._

" _Um, thanks," John said, smiling at the butler, who nodded in response. He pressed his lips together, then asked, a bit shyly, "What's your name, sir?"_

 _The butler looked taken aback. He was silent, before answering, "It's Marcus, sir."_

 _John beamed. "Thank you for the ice cream, Marcus." The butler walked away without another word, while John filed the name away in his head._

 _Henry, who had been watching the whole thing, frowned disapprovingly. "You don't need to concern yourself with your servants' names, John."_

 _John shrugged. "I just wanted to know, is all." When he finished eating, he said goodnight to everyone and went upstairs to his room._

* * *

" _I'm telling you, Laf, I keep seeing him everywhere I go," John told his computer screen four days later, where a boy's face was displayed. Lafayette's hair was in a messier bun than usual, considering he was at home, where he had been playing online games with John just a few minutes ago, before John FaceTimed him._

 _Laf raised an eyebrow. "Everywhere?" the French boy asked. His voice was starting to deepen thanks to puberty._

" _Well, ok, not everywhere, but I've seen him enough times around the house to know that he's_ there _and not some figment of my imagination." John huffed, frustrated. "My dad told me not to think too much about him, but how could I not, when there's a literal stranger just walking around my own house?"_

" _So… what are you going to do about it?"_

" _I don't know, Laf. I keep wanting to talk to him, but he always leaves before I get a chance to." He looked down at himself. "It's almost like he's avoiding me on purpose."_

 _Laf guffawed. "I can't imagine anyone wanting to avoid_ you _," he told John good-heartedly._

 _John raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What do you mean?"_

 _The French boy smirked. "Mon ami, if you had any idea how nice you are, you would know what I mean." He looked around his room for a moment, before focusing back on John. "Say, did you do the summer reading yet?_ The Equation Devil _, I believe?"_

" _Actually, it's called_ The Number Devil _. And holy shit, I forgot about that!" John rubbed his forehead. "What has my life come to?"_

 _Laf chuckled. "Better get to it. There's only trois days left until school."_

" _Sometimes, I wish I didn't know French," John muttered._

" _Why's that?"_

" _So I don't need to know I have three days left until school! Bye, Laf! Gotta do my homework now!"_

 _Laf made a mock salute. "Au revoir!" John hung up, and left his room to go to the library. That was when he saw him again._

 _The boy was literally exiting the library just as John approached it. He had another book tucked under his arm. The boy was looking around cautiously, when his eyes fell on John. Immediately, they widened, and he hurried away down the stairs._

" _Wait!" John called out, but the boy was already downstairs. John ran down as well, and chased the boy to the back of the mansion, where he disappeared into a room and almost slammed its door closed._

" _Is something the matter, Master John?" John turned around and saw a young ginger-haired maid looking at him with concern. John remembered asking for her name yesterday, to which she responded Susie._

" _Nothing at all, Susie," he answered, flashing her a bright smile._

 _The maid blinked, surprised John had remembered her name. She smiled back, and nodded. "If you say so." Then she walked away._

 _John looked back at the door the boy disappeared into._ I'll come back tomorrow _, he thought._ When there's less servants around. _With that thought in mind, he returned to the library._

 _John was so busy binge-reading_ The Number Devil _that night, he didn't notice it was_ way _past midnight until he saw his alarm clock read 3:37 PM. He peeked outside his door. The mansion was eerily quiet, which was different from the usually bustling life there in the daytime. John wasn't sure what made him do it, but he grabbed a flashlight he found under his bed, and tiptoed outside his room, then downstairs._

 _The mansion was as dark as it was quiet, not to mention also empty. It appeared that all the maids and butlers had gone home._ Almost _all of them. John saw a maid coming his way, and ducked behind the couch. It was the same brown-haired maid from the other day. Luckily, she didn't see John. To his surprise, she was still in her uniform._

Did she really work that late? _John thought, concerned now._ Her sleep…

 _The maid walked with a heavy tiredness in her step. Nevertheless, she continued through the mansion, going into the same hallway John had seen the boy enter earlier. John quietly crept after her. To his even greater surprise, the maid opened the same door that led to the same room the boy vanished into, and she, too, entered the room._

I know I shouldn't eavesdrop, but— _John cautiously crept up to the door and pressed his ear to it._

"— _to sleep," a woman, possibly the maid, was saying._

" _I can't, though," a boy's voice said. There was silence, and then the boy said, "Can you please teach me more French, Mom?"_

" _It's late, Alex."_

" _Please?" the boy pleaded. "I promise I'll go to sleep afterwards. I just don't want to slack off on my French, since I'm going to be focusing on Spanish in school."_

 _The woman sighed. "Okay. Repeat after me." John was amazed when she started singing in a melodious voice. "Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf."_

 _The boy groaned. "I already know how to count in French, Mom."_

" _You said you wanted to practice, didn't you?"_

" _Ugh, fine." The boy repeated the numbers in French, except he was a little more off key._

 _They repeated the sequence for a little while, until the maid said, "Okay, stop. Let's focus on translating now." She sang the word, "Désir?"_

" _Longing," the boy translated eagerly._

" _Rouillé?"_

" _Rusted."_

" _Fourneau?"_

" _Furnace," the boy replied easily._

" _Aube?"_

" _Daybreak."_

" _Dix-sept?"_

" _Weren't we counting numbers before?"_

" _I'm mixing in some numbers now. What's dix-sept?"_

" _Seventeen."_

" _Bénin?"_

" _That's easy. Benign."_

" _Neuf?"_

" _Also easy. Nine."_

" _Alright, what's retour à la maison?"_

" _Um, something to do with home?"_

 _The woman let out a light chuckle. "It means 'homecoming.'"_

" _What's homecoming?"_

" _It's a sort of celebration held in high school or college where former students are invited."_

" _Oh, I get it! Like coming home!"_

" _Exactly."_

 _There was a pause, and when the boy spoke again, John felt the atmosphere change. "Mom, I miss home."_

" _I know, sweetie. But we have to stay here for now."_

" _Mr. Laurens yelled at me again."_

" _You can't let Mr. Laurens scare you. You need to stay strong and hold your head up high," his mother gently urged._

" _I want to go home," the boy whimpered. "Please? I don't like this place." Even though John couldn't see him, he was pretty sure there were tears running down the boy's face._

" _I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Maybe someday, we'll go back."_

" _Really?" the boy asked, his voice hopeful._

" _Yes," his mother said. "But not right now. Now, we have to sleep. Mommy has to go to work tomorrow."_

" _You're always at work," the boy mumbled. "Good night, Mom."_

" _Good night, Alex." John heard the click of a lamp, and after that, there was silence. John slid down the door, and sat on the floor. He was stricken by the conversation._

Does he really hate my house that much? _John thought._ Does my dad treat the other servants the way he treats that boy? How do the other servants feel? _That last thought echoed in John's head as he slowly crept back up the stairs to his room. That night, John made up his mind._

I won't treat them like servants anymore. I'll treat them like friends.

* * *

A/N:So, because I'm lazy, sentences spoken in French are in italics.

* * *

The next morning, Alex woke up as usual, and was about to leave for the bathroom when he heard a crunch under his foot. He looked down and found a note. In neat handwriting, it read: Dear Alex, I'm sorry if I upset you last night. To make up for it, I want you to sit with me and my friends during lunch. I'll prove to you that we're not all stuck ups. -John

Alex squinted at the note. Apparently, John had slipped it under his door after Alex fell asleep last night. He rubbed his forehead. _This boy… why can't he just leave me alone?_

On the car ride to school, John kept glancing nervously over at Alex, who paid him no attention and stared out the window instead. When all of John's siblings were dropped off, John took a deep breath, and said, "Hey, Alex?"

Alex huffed out a sigh. He couldn't avoid John forever. He turned away from the window and looked at John. "Yes?"

"Are… you going to sit with us for lunch? Only if you want to, of course. I'm not gonna force you or anything," John quickly added. He looked so sincere, Alex felt guilty for his antagonism toward him yesterday. He sighed.

"Yeah, I'll sit with you."

John's face lit up. "R-really?" He hesitated. "Are you sure? You don't have to—"

"I said I'm gonna do it, ok?" Alex snapped, then softened his voice. "Sorry. But really, I'm sure. It's not like it's gonna kill me or anything."

John smiled at Alex. "Great!" He pulled out his phone, and checked something. "Huh."

"What is it?"

"The weather forecast this morning said it was gonna rain really hard. So I brought an umbrella with me." John reached into his book bag and pulled out a dark green umbrella. He peered outside the window. "But it looks so sunny today, don't you think? I figured that maybe they would change their report, but I guess it really is gonna rain later."

Alex tried to stay relaxed, even though the mention of a storm sent him on edge.

The car pulled up to the school, and John jumped out. He looked over his shoulder and grinned at Alex. "Guess I'll see you at lunch, then?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, see you."

"John!" Almost immediately, Martha came gliding up to them. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Alex, but her hostility faded when she took John's arm and, like yesterday, practically dragged him away. Once again, Alex was left to enter the school by himself.

* * *

Lunchtime was noisy as usual, but this time, at least Alex had an idea of where he was going to sit. It took a while, but he finally spotted John and his three friends, if you even counted Martha, who was currently leaning on John's shoulder.

 _Is it just me, or is she super clingy to John?_ Alex thought. _I get that they're a couple, but still…_

"Alex!" A girl called out. Alex looked in the direction of the voice and saw Angelica waving at him from about five tables away. Peggy and Eliza were also sitting there, both of them waving him over.

"Come sit with us!" Peggy shouted over the cafeteria noise. Eliza didn't say anything, though she was also smiling hopefully at him as well.

At the same time, John saw Alex, and shouted, "Alex, over here!"

Alex was partially tempted to join the Schuyler sisters, but he remembered his promise to John. He smiled apologetically at the sisters and shook his head. "Sorry, maybe next time," he shouted back.

Angelica frowned, but she shrugged it off and went back to eating. Peggy made a mock pouty face at him. Eliza's smile dimmed, but she nodded understandingly.

Alex approached John's table, where the other two boys and Martha were now watching him.

"I didn't know you had other friends," John said quietly. "If I had known, I wouldn't have…"

"You're friends with the Schuyler sisters?" one of the other boys blurted out before Alex could respond to John. It was the one with the beanie.

"Hercules! Don't be so rude!" the boy with the bun chided him. Alex caught a French accent. The French boy smiled at Alex. "Sorry, he's like that. So, are you John's friend?"

"Um, yeah, I guess," Alex said. Is _John my friend? Would I consider him to be?_ "My name's Alexander, but you can call me Alex."

The French boy smiled and stuck out his hand, which Alex shook. "Bonjour. Je m'appelle Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, but Laf is fine." He winked. "Any ami of John is an ami of mine."

"Speak English, Laf," the beanie boy said. "He doesn't know—"

" _So you are French?_ " Alex asked. There was an awkward silence around the table. Even Martha looked up at Alex upon hearing him speak French.

Alex was starting to think he did something wrong, when the French boy—Lafayette—let out an excited shriek, making several heads turn.

"AAHH YOU SPEAK FRENCH?! JOHN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HE SPOKE FRENCH TOO?!" Laf grabbed Alex and squeezed him into a hug. "You are my new best friend, Alex! God bless you!"

"Alright Laf, calm down, man," the beanie boy said. "You're suffocating him!" He rescued Alex from Laf's grip, which was starting to cut off his oxygen, and shook Alex's hand. "Hercules Mulligan, or Herc for short."

Alex laughed. "You really do get excited about anyone who speaks French, huh?" he asked Lafayette.

Laf rubbed his neck sheepishly. "A little. I was born in France, so English is not my native language." He blushed. "I'm still learning, so it's nice to have someone who can translate for me every now and then. Until this point, John has been my personal human translator. But now I also have you!"

Alex chuckled. "Glad to be of assistance."

Laf's eye caught someone, and he started waving excitedly. "Thomas!" Alex's stomach dropped. _Please don't let it be who I think it is…_

Alex couldn't have been unluckier. Next thing he knew, Jefferson was at their table. "Hey Gil!" he said with a smile.

"Thomas, you will never guess who I found!" Jefferson's smile disappeared when he and Alex locked eyes with each other. "This is Alex! He speaks French too!"

"How wonderful," Jefferson said through gritted teeth. "He and I are actually… acquaintances."

Laf's eyes widened. "You two know each other?" He let out a squeal. "Even better! My best friend and my cousin know each other!"

Alex almost choked. "You and Jefferson are cousins?"

Laf nodded, oblivious to the tension in the air. "Oui, you couldn't tell?"

Now that Alex had a good look at them, Laf and Jefferson did look alike, with their dark skin and curly black hair. In fact, they looked more like _twins_ than cousins.

"Yeah I can see that," Alex answered.

"Well, Gil, it was nice meeting your… friend." Jefferson's eyes narrowed at the last word. "I'm gonna go now. See you after school." He turned away and went back to his table, Laf waving after him. Laf turned to Alex with a happy smile on his face.

"You and Thomas are going to get along so well, I can tell!"

"Yeah… totally." _He couldn't have been more wrong._ Alex was grateful when Hercules changed the subject.

"Did you guys see Principal King's new collar? Like who wears that nowadays?"

"I dunno," John answered. "Must've costed him a lotta money, though."

Laf snorted. "I don't like that man. He keeps saying he uses our tuition to"—air quotes—"'improve the school.' But I'm pretty sure he's actually using it to improve his wardrobe."

"Agreed. Honestly, I would rather Professor Washington be our principal instead. At least he doesn't discriminate against people from the LGBTQ+ community," John said.

After letting the words sink in, Alex realized what they meant. _John's not homophobic. He actually supports gay marriage. Maybe… I was wrong about him._

Martha yawned, not interested in their conversation at all. "The bell's gonna ring soon. Let's go to class together, Johnny."

"Um… okay." John got up with Martha and walked out of the cafeteria, hand in hand, John looking like he wanted to stay a little longer. As soon as they were gone, Laf and Herc turned stormy.

"If their marriage wasn't forced, I would've told John to break up with that girl long ago," Laf muttered dryly.

"Yeah," Herc agreed. "Ever since John got 'engaged'"—air quotes—"that girl has been dragging him everywhere she goes. We can't even hang out as much we used to because of her!"

"She's such an over possessive—what is the word?" Laf asked.

"Bitch," Hercules answered. "She's a bitch."

"Yes, a _bitch_."

"Do you guys always complain about her behind her back?" Alex asked. They both turned to him.

"Yes, of course we do!" Laf exclaimed, exasperated. "That's how annoying she is!"

"Besides, don't you think John and Martha's relationship is a bit unhealthy?" Herc said.

"A _bit_? It's _very_ unhealthy. She clings to John like a parasite! Except instead of blood, she's sucking his happiness out of him!"

"Not all parasites suck blood, Laf," Herc informed him.

"You know what I mean!"

"Seriously though, Martha is all, 'Johnny, let's do this! Johnny, let's do that!'" Hercules imitated in a high-pitched voice. "'Come again? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the conversation you hooligans were having because _I don't give a fuck!_ '" His voice ended on a shrill note, and Laf snickered.

"She actually called us that once," Laf confirmed. "That's another thing. She insults people right in front of their faces. John told her to stop several times, but that is all he can really do. After that, she goes back to bad mouthing us again, John tells her to stop, and the cycle repeats."

"Yikes," Alex said. He couldn't imagine how John must've felt, staying with someone like that 24-7. _And he's supposed to_ marry _her?_

"Yeah, it's really such a shame," Herc said. "Too bad there's nothing we can do about it."

Wanting to change the subject, Alex posed a new question. "So what do your parents do for a living?" _Apparently rich people like to ask this a lot._

"My dad's a tailor," Hercules answered. "My family is actually middle class, but we make enough money to pay for my tuition, which is why you are able to see me here in all my glory." He smirked, and Alex laughed.

"What about you, Laf?"

Laf was silent, then answered quietly, "My parents died in a car accident when I was five."

Guilt flared up in Alex's stomach. _Damn it, I asked the wrong question._ "I'm so sorry."

Laf sighed, then smiled at Alex. "Non, it's okay. I'm mostly over it now. I'm just glad I had family in America, otherwise I would've been put in some foster care system in France. I live with Thomas and his parents now."

 _And Thomas Jefferson=money money money. That's how Laf gets_ his _tuition._ Strangely, Alex was able to relate to Lafayette. The feeling of never seeing his family again… _No, don't think about it_ , he thought aggressively to himself. _Last thing you need is to cry in front of these people._

"So Alex, what do _your_ parents do?"

Alex froze. _Oh god. I should've known they would ask me if I asked them._ "Um…"

"Say, you live with John, right?" Laf asked, leaning forward so no one else could hear. Herc looked on calmly at Alex.

Alex's eyes widened. "I… Y-you know?" _How much about me did John tell these guys? Did he tell them—no. No._ And right when Alex was starting to get along with these two. Right when he thought he could trust them.

Laf nodded. "Oui, but he didn't tell us much. He said you would tell us yourself once you were ready."

"What, exactly, did he tell you?"

"Just that you live with him under special circumstances and that you go to this school," Herc answered. "Don't worry, we don't know any of your terrible dark secrets yet," he joked.

Alex let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Laf opened his mouth to say something, when the lunch bell rang.

"Wup, time to go back to class," Herc said, getting up with Laf and Alex. "It was nice meeting you, Alex."

"Yes, it was a pleasure talking to you, especially in French," Laf said with a wink.

Alex grinned. "It was nice to meet you guys, too." They went their separate ways after that.

* * *

Jefferson approached Alex in Squabble Squad, and planted his hands firmly on Alex's desk.

"Are you mocking me, Hamilton?" he snarled.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked nonchalantly.

"Do you really think that just because you got on my cousin's good side, means you have an advantage over me? Because that's not gonna work."

"What are you talking about?"

"What I mean is, Gil and I have known each other since we were kids. We played together, ate together, and lived together. All you did was say a few words in French." He crossed his arms. "So if you try to turn Gil against me, it won't work."

Alex glared at Jefferson. "For your information, I wasn't planning on using Laf to get back at you. I actually want to be his friend for real."

Jefferson snorted. "Since when did _you_ want to be friends with anyone?" He leaned in close to Alex and whispered, "If you hurt Gil, I _will_ stop at nothing to destroy you. Mark my words." He stalked off to sit next to Madison again.

"Jefferson really hates you," Burr said.

Alex shrugged. "I know, but I've gotten used to it."

"Please," Angelica said. "Thomas is _nothing_. You'd think he's scary at first, but he's actually a coward." She smiled at Alex. "Glad I'm not the only one who sees that."

Alex laughed. "Exactly."

"Have you guys heard about the case with the baker and the gay couple?" Burr asked.

"Of course," Alex and Angelica answered at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"I'm rooting for the baker," Alex declared.

Angelica mocked a look of betrayal. "You traitor," she accused jokingly. "I'm on Team Gay Couple."

"Oh, do I smell a debate now?" Alex challenged half-jokingly.

Angelica's dark eyes glittered. "You're on."

"Oh boy," Burr muttered. "Shall I do the introductions?"

"Yes, please," Alex said.

"Alright then." Burr cleared his throat. "Right now, there is a court case, where a gay couple is suing a baker for refusing to make them a wedding case. State which side you are on—"

"Gay couple," Angelica interrupted.

"Baker," Alex responded.

"Okay, we've got our sides picked." Burr swept an arm towards Angelica. "Ladies first."

She rolled her eyes, then started. "First off, a business's top priority is to satisfy its customers' needs, no matter who they are. The fact that the baker refused to make a wedding cake for the gay couple just because they're in a same-sex relationship is just outright discrimination. Second, all the baker had to do was bake a _cake_. That was all he had to do. It's not like it was going to kill him. And yet he refused to do such a simple task."

"Well, my opinion differs," Alex said. "For one, the baker _is_ allowed to refuse service to anyone. It's his choice, just like how we're allowed to talk shit about the President (Insert Captain America "Language!" meme). Second, to you it might seem like baking a cake is no big deal, but to the baker, baking a cake is his way of expressing himself. Plus, he says the only reason he won't make them a wedding cake is because he doesn't believe in gay marriage, and that he would gladly make another type of cake for them, like a birthday cake. If he feels uncomfortable with expressing something he doesn't believe in, then he shouldn't be forced to."

The argument lasted two minutes, maybe three minutes, until Mr. Washington told them club time was over and it was time to go home.

"I totally won that debate," Alex said as he, Angelica, and Burr left the classroom.

"Nuh-uh," Angelica countered. "Victory was mine."

"You want to debate about it?"

"Please don't," Burr said. "I'm not sure how much more of your roasting I can handle."

Alex snickered. "You should try roasting sometime, Burr. It's a pretty good feeling."

Burr rolled his eyes. "I'll wait for my opportunity, thanks." He veered off to the right. "I'm gonna use the bathroom now. See you tomorrow."

"Bye Burr," Alex and Angelica said. The two of them continued on their way to the school doors. Eliza and Peggy were already waiting for them there.

"Angie! Alex!" Peggy greeted them. She lightly punched Alex's shoulder. "I'm still mad you didn't sit with us for lunch."

"Sorry," Alex said. "Tell you what, I'll sit with you guys tomorrow."

"Really?" Eliza had perked up when he made the offer.

Alex smiled at her. "Yeah, sure. If you don't mind, of course—"

Angelica snorted. "Of course we don't mind. You are welcome to sit with us anytime."

Peggy grinned. "Great! You _better_ sit with us tomorrow." She yawned. "Okay, I wanna go home now. Can we go home please?"

"Fine," Angelica said. "It is getting late. Plus, it's raining, so we better get home as soon as possible." She looked at Alex. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at lunch?"

"Yeah, see ya." All three sisters pulled out their own umbrellas. Angelica's was pink, Eliza's was blue, and Peggy's was yellow. They walked out the door in single file, Eliza casting one last look at Alex before following Angelica out.

Alex went out the door and was immediately pelted on the head by light raindrops. He was also surprised to find a fourth person waiting for him outside the school. It was John. The freckled boy held his green umbrella over his head as the rain fell around him.

His eyes lit up when he saw Alex. "Alex!" He ran over to Alex and held his umbrella over the other boy's head. "Here, you can share my umbrella with me."

"Thanks, but you don't have to. I gotta take the subway anyway." Alex proceeded to walk out from under the umbrella, but John quickly followed him, shielding him from the rain.

"Actually, there's a car waiting for us right now." John pointed at a black car, where a butler was patiently sitting in the driver's seat. "I had art club today, so Marty, Jemmy, and Henry went home first without me." He grinned at Alex. "So we have the car to ourselves."

"Thanks, John, but I can take the subway—"

"Do you seriously think I'm gonna let you walk home in the rain without an umbrella?" Alex was silent. "That's what I thought. Now get in before you get sick." John held the car door open for Alex, who hesitantly got in. John followed, and the driver started the engine.

The car ride back to the mansion was silent for the most part. Eventually, Alex spoke up. "Thanks, again."

"No problem," John answered. He paused a moment, before asking, "So, how are Laf and Herc? You guys seem to be getting along."

"Yeah, they're cool. Laf was really excited to meet another French speaker."

John smiled. "Yeah, he finds a connection in people who speak French, Herc being the exception. He and Laf connected over their love for fashion."

"So, you speak French?"

John nodded. "Yeah. My mom taught me. She's actually of French descent."

Alex never knew that. "Really? My mom is, too! That's how I'm so fluent in French."

John gave Alex a crooked smile. "Maybe you and I aren't so different after all." To John's surprise, Alex smiled back.

"Yeah, maybe we aren't," he said softly.

 _Yes, he's warming up to me!_ John thought excitedly. _Maybe we can be friends now._ Alex didn't say anything else to John after that, but John's hopes weren't dampened.

Alex wasn't sure why John was beaming the rest of the ride back.

* * *

A/N:Marvel reference, anyone? And no, I'm not talking about the meme I inserted in there for fun lol.


	6. Chapter 6: Hurricane

A/N: So there are supposed to be horizontal lines here, but they're not here... It's probably bc this is my first time uploading a chapter on my phone instead of my computer. But I wanted to post something as soon as possible, so here it is! Chapter 6!

Update:Okay, I fixed the horizontal line problem now. Enjoy!

Since most stories seem to put a trigger warning for this, I figure I should too, so...

 ****Trigger Warning: Panic Attack(?)****

* * *

John was eating dinner with his family when he saw Alex walking toward them in the dining room. The boy stopped in the entrance, not daring to come in any further.

"Excuse me, Mr. Laurens?" Alex called out, getting Henry's attention.

The man looked up from his food, and regarded Alex with cold eyes. "Yes?"

"Where's my mother?"

"I sent her out to run some errands for me. She should be back now."

"But, what if the storm—"

"I said she should be back now," Henry interrupted, impatience starting to leak into his voice. "Don't bother me now."

Alex took it as a warning and hurried away. He decided to wait for Rachel in their small bedroom. It was the safest place to be in during a—

BOOM. Alex jumped at the sound of thunder, and his heart started to beat faster.

 _No. No no no no no no no._

BOOM. He tried to slow his breathing, but it only quickened.

BOOM. He was frozen, his feet rooted to the floor.

BOOM. Memories started flashing through his head.

BOOM. The newspaper. The headlines.

BOOM. "Hurricane Devastates Nevis. Over 500 Dead."

BOOM. He managed to sink to the floor, and curled up into a tight ball. He tried to cover his ears, but the sound reverberated through his head.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Alex couldn't take it anymore. He screamed.

* * *

John was certain that something was wrong with Alex. The way he looked so pale when he found out his mother wasn't home, it didn't sit well with John.

So after dinner, John decided to go check on him. And that was when he heard the screaming. John didn't bother knocking on the door. He rushed in, and found Alex screaming by the foot of his bed.

"Alex!" John grabbed Alex's shoulders and shook him. "Alex! Are you okay?"

The boy stopped screaming, but he still remained in the fetal position, keeping his head tucked in between his knees and refusing to look up at John.

"Master John? Is everything alright?" Marcus poked his head into the room. "We heard screaming, and wanted to see what was going on."

"It's nothing, Marcus," John reassured him. He also saw Susie behind the butler, and the maid was looking worriedly at the two boys. "You can go back to work now."

"If you say so." They left, closing the door in case they needed privacy.

"Alex, look at me," John said. "Alex?" The other boy didn't answer. He only continued whimpering. "Alex, please. I want to help you, but I can't do anything if you won't tell me what's wrong."

Alex mumbled something. "What?" John asked. "Sorry, you'll have to speak more clearly."

"Storm," Alex whispered, barely audible.

"What?"

"Storm," he repeated, a little louder.

BOOM. Alex yelped, and curled into himself even further.

 _He's scared of the thunder_ , John realized.

"Alex, listen to me. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just thunder."

Something inside Alex snapped, and he glared over his knees at John. "Didn't I tell you I don't need your pity?" he growled, momentarily forgetting his fear. "You have everything you've ever wanted, so you think everyone else is so unfortunate. Well, guess what? You're right.

"I already lost half my family, in case you were wondering. My lousy-ass excuse of a dad couldn't protect my mom. Instead, he just left us there to take care of ourselves. He didn't even say anything. He just _left_!" Alex spat the last word out like it tasted like rotten fruit.

"And when Mom got sick, he wasn't there when she needed him the most. Stupid bastard was probably somewhere in St. Croix drinking and gambling his money away.

"And then we had to leave James. I haven't seen him ever since. Do you know how painful that is? Not hearing from your own brother for five years? The only thing I could do was _hope_ he got my letters.

"Then the hurricane came. Three years after we moved to New York, Nevis got hit by a storm. Except, it was more than just a storm. It was a disaster. 'Hurricane Devastates Nevis,'" he recited. "'Over 500 Dead.' I don't even know if my own brother is alive or not. He could be dead this whole time, for all we know." Tears were spilling like waterfalls from Alex's eyes, and as soon as he finished his rant, he shrunk back down and continued sobbing into his knees.

"Is that why you're afraid of storms?" John asked softly, but Alex didn't answer. He was back to his previous state, scared and distraught.

 _Crap, what do I do? What do I do? What do I— Rachel._ As far as John knew, Alexander's mother was the only one who was capable of calming down her own son. _But she's not here. Because my stupid dad had to send her out for stupid errands._ John was angry. How could his father do this to Alex? _Now's not the time to blame Dad, John. Think. What would Rachel do in this situation?_

It came to John faster than the lightning flashing outside. Before he knew it, he was singing, a little off key, but clear enough for Alex for hear. "Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf."

Alex was quiet. "Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf," John sang again.

After a moment, John heard a soft voice. "Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf."

"That's it, Alex," John whispered encouragingly. "Keep repeating after me. Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf."

"Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf," Alex imitated, his voice getting slightly stronger.

BOOM. Alex started to tremble again. "Don't pay attention to the thunder," John urged. "Just listen to the sound of my voice. Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf."

They repeated the sequence, back and forth, and eventually, Alex was able to make eye contact with John, and his breathing evened out.

"You okay?" John asked, once he noticed the change.

BOOM. Alex winced, but he nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay now."

"Good." John leaned back on his haunches. "You know, I was worried there for a moment."

Alex looked away. "How do you know that tune? Only my mom sings that."

John blushed. "Oh, I-um." He faltered, then tried again. "I… may or may not have been stalking you for the past few years." _Oh my god that sounded so wrong._ "I wasn't trying to be creepy or anything," John said hurriedly. "I was just curious about you, is all. And I may or may not have listened in on your French lessons occasionally, including the one you guys had just a few days ago."

Alex blinked. "What? Wait, you said for the past few _years_. Does that mean"—he swallowed—"you actually knew I existed the whole time?"

"Well, yeah. I kept seeing you around all the time, it was hard _not_ to notice. I kept trying to talk to you, but you always ran off whenever I got even _remotely_ close to you. Eventually, I gave up. I figured the reason I couldn't get close to you was because… because you hated me."

 _This guy really knows how to guilt trip me._ "I… I don't hate you."

John's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't?" Alex shook his head. "So why did you avoid me until now?"

"I thought you were going to bully me if you found out I was… less fortunate than you." Alex buried his head in his knees. _He's gonna hate me now, isn't he?_ "I'm sorry."

"Hey." To Alex's shock, John took both his hands and looked him straight in the eye. "I would _never_ do that to you. I'm the one who should be sorry, actually."

"What for?"

"I saw how my dad treated you, and I did nothing. I wish I could've at least told him to leave you alone. But I was too scared, so I just _watched_." John smiled sadly. "It would've also been a good chance to prove myself to you, but I guess the damage was already done." He released Alex's hands. "So we both made mistakes and got off on the wrong foot. How about we start over?" He stuck out his hand. "My name's John Laurens, and I _promise_ I'm not a jerk like my dad. I like drawing mostly portraits and turtles, emphasis on the turtles. I want to be either a doctor or a biologist when I grow up, and I hate going shopping for clothes. Your turn."

Alex smiled and shook John's hand. "My name's Alexander Hamilton, and I like writing poems and political essays. I'm not too fond of writing stories because I'm not exactly the creative type, but I still try. I want to be a lawyer in the future, and I hate stuck-up snobs… and thunder."

John grinned. "So… are we cool now?"

"Yeah." Alex paused for a moment. "Does this mean we're friends now?"

"I mean, I assumed we were already, but yeah, we're friends."

"Hey, do you mind if I sit with the Schuyler sisters tomorrow? I promised I would sit with them at lunchtime."

"Sure! Sorry I stole you from them today."

"It's okay. To be honest, I actually enjoyed sitting with you guys."

"You did?"

"Yeah, you have some pretty cool friends, and you're not too bad yourself."

BOOM. The two newfound friends continued their conversation, and found out that they both liked the musical Miranda, along with other things they had in common. As cliché as it sounded, this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

"Oh good," Peggy said the next day at lunchtime. "You actually came."

"Yes, I did," Alex answered, grinning at her.

Eliza scooted over so Alex was sandwiched between her and Angelica. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hey," Alex said, smiling back at her. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and she quickly looked away.

"No greetings for me?" Angelica asked playfully, punching Alex's shoulder.

Alex rolled his eyes. "I was going to get to you, but you beat me to it."

Angelica's lips turned up into a smirk. "Ha! Maybe next time, champ."

"Hey Angie, can I have your fries?" Peggy asked, already reaching over Angelica to get to her tray.

Angelica quickly pushed her tray away so Peggy couldn't get to it. "Pegs, you eat too much too quickly. Maybe you would still have fries left on your tray if you didn't scarf them down on your way to our table."

Peggy pouted. "Hmph, you're so mean."

"I'm doing it so you don't get fat or sick, Pegs."

"You're still mean."

"Maybe you should eat your fries before Peggy steals them," Alex whispered to Angelica.

"Yeah, I probably should." She gave Peggy an evil smile. "I should munch on my fries very, very _slowly_. Right in front of her."

Peggy's eyes widened in mock horror. "You _wouldn't_."

Angelica smirked, and picked up a fry. "Oh, I would."

"You're evil."

"Here, Pegs, you can have my fries." Eliza pushed her tray over to Peggy, who squealed in delight.

"Eeeeeh, thank you so much, Eliza! You're my savior!" Peggy started popping the French fries into her mouth one by one.

"Slow down, Peggy!" Angelica warned jokingly. "You're going to choke yourself!"

Alex laughed. "Is she like this every day?" he asked, gesturing to Peggy.

Angelica rolled her eyes. "Every time we're lucky enough to have fries for lunch, yes. Same thing goes for cookies."

"And are you always like this to her?"

"Look, Eliza gives Peggy her fries because she's _nice_. I'm keeping the fries away from Peggy because I'm _kind_. There's a difference."

"You don't do it very 'kindly,' though," Peggy countered, halfway done with Eliza's fries.

While Peggy and Angelica continued arguing about fries and cookies, Eliza shyly spoke to Alex. "So, what do you like to do in your free time, Alex?"

"Oh, I like reading and writing."

Eliza smiled to show she was paying attention. "And what do you like to read?"

"Meh, mostly books about law."

"You want to be a lawyer when you grow up?"

"Well yeah, I do." Alex leaned back in his seat, and almost fell over because he forgot it was a bench and had no back. "There's so much injustice in this world. I want to fix that." He looked over at Eliza.

"So you already know what you're gonna do in the future. That's nice."

"How about you? What do you wanna major in in college?"

She twisted her skirt in her hands. "I don't know yet. Unlike you, I'm terrible at planning. I prefer to take things slow and enjoy the present while I still can." She smiled faintly. "Though Angelica tells me I'm good with kids, so I could be a teacher or even a family doctor."

 _I want to be either a doctor or a biologist when I grow up._ Alex looked over at John's table. Said boy was busily chatting with Lafayette and Hercules. He appeared to be playfully arguing with them, completely ignoring Martha, who was trying to plant a kiss on his cheek but failing.

Alex turned back to Eliza. "I think you'd make a great teacher."

Eliza's eyes widened slightly. "You think so?"

"Yeah, you seem to be really nice and have a lot of patience. I'm sure kids will love you." He laughed. "I can never be a teacher. I would probably end up yelling at half the students to pay attention."

Eliza blushed. "If you say so. Hey, um, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

Eliza fiddled with a strand of her long black hair. "My sisters and I are going to hang out at the Plaza this weekend. You… wanna come?"

Angelica and Peggy stopped talking and joined their conversation. "Oh yeah, the Plaza!" Peggy said. Angelica gave her a look. "Sorry, I forgot about that."

"What's the Plaza?" Alex asked.

Angelica gave him an incredulous look. "You know all about the baker vs. gay couple court case but you don't know about the Plaza?"

"Um, no?"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you uncultured swine. The Plaza is basically this huge mall where you can find just about anything. Clothes, food, books, there's even a store selling glasses there."

"There's also a nice toy pen for little kids," Peggy added.

"Like you," Angelica said. Before Peggy could shoot back a remark, she continued. "So Alex, wanna come with us this weekend?"

"I don't really have any other plans…"

"So that's a yes, then?" Angelica asked.

"I guess…?"

"Well, it's decided then. You're coming with us," Angelica declared. The bell rang, and she got up. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Alex. Bye!" She collected her sisters' lunch trays as well as her own, and jogged off toward the trash cans near the cafeteria entrance.

"I can carry my own tray, Angie!" Peggy shouted, running after her sister. She waved over her shoulder. "Bye, Alex!"

The only Schuyler sister left now was Eliza. Alex chuckled. "I was gonna say bye to you _and_ your sisters, but I guess I'll have to say bye to just you instead," he told Eliza jokingly.

Eliza smiled. "I'll tell them bye for you." She waved. "See you tomorrow, Alex."

"See ya." She disappeared out of the lunch room.

For some reason, Alex was a little disappointed when he saw that John and his friends had left, too.

 _Why am I upset? I'll see them again tomorrow. Maybe I can sit with them for lunch. Gah, why do I care so much? I'm gonna be late to class!_ He shoved the thought into the back of his head and hurried out of the cafeteria.

* * *

She held the object in her hands, hoping, for the millionth time, that it wasn't true. She sat on the toilet, waiting for the lines to appear.

One line appeared. A tiny spark of hope lit up inside her for a moment, but was soon extinguished when a second line appeared. Positive.

She dropped her head into her hands, her eyes welling up again. For the millionth time.

Why was she still holding on to hope? It was no use. Her expanding belly was already a sign that her nightmare had come true.

Maybe she wasn't pregnant. Maybe she just ate too much food. No, she never ate too much. She never even ate _enough_. They always gave her less than she needed. So that left only one other option: she was with child.

Yet why was she still hoping?

She wept that night.

* * *

The weekend had arrived, and Alex hurried to get dressed. Angelica had given him the Plaza's address, which she wrote down on a slip of paper.

 _Crap, where did I put that piece of paper? Oh no._ And Alex didn't have a phone, so he couldn't contact Angelica to get the address again.

"Alex?" Rachel called from outside, her voice slightly muffled from the closed door. "Are you done changing yet? Didn't you say you were going to meet those girls at 11:30 sharp?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because it's now"—a pause—"11:25."

"Oh shit, really?!" Alex finished buttoning his shirt, and yanked the door open, startling Rachel.

"Oh my god," he fretted. "I'm late. Angelica's going to kill me."

"Alex, calm down. I'm sure she'll forgive you."

"You don't know Angelica, Mom."

"Isn't she the girl from debate?"

"Yeah, she can be really scary. Alright, I gotta go now. Bye, Mom!"

Rachel grabbed him by his collar before he could leave, though. "Hold on. Do you know _where_ you're going?"

"Yeah, the Plaza."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you know its address?"

"Um, no?"

She sighed. "How do you expect to get there on time if you don't even know where you're supposed to meet them?"

"I had the address on a piece of paper, but I think I lost it." Alex was hyperventilating. "Mom, what do I do?"

"First of all, calm down. Second, we're going to find that piece of paper. Come." She walked him back into their bedroom. "Now, where did you last see it?"

"Um, my book bag?"

"Alright." She reached for Alex's backpack and started dumping its contents onto her bed. Books and pencils tumbled out. Rachel looked at the mess she made and plucked out a sheet of paper among them. She handed it to Alex. "Is this the paper you need?"

Alex grabbed the paper out of her hand, thinking he was saved. But it turned out to be the paper with all three Schuyler sisters' phone numbers on it. "No, it's just their phone numbers."

"Just?"

"I mean, I could call them and ask for the address, but I don't have a phone."

"Then find someone who does." Alex opened his mouth, then closed it. Rachel smiled and shook her head. "Honestly, Alexander, I thought I raised you to be better than this."

Alex looked at the floor sheepishly. "Sorry."

"No need to say sorry. Remember: there is _always_ a solution to every problem." She pushed him to the door. "Now go! You don't want to be late."

"Thanks Mom." He turned to go, but then stopped and hugged Rachel, who returned the embrace. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetie." Alex left and went upstairs. He already knew who he was going to ask to borrow their phone.

Alex passed Henry on his way to John's room. The man narrowed his eyes at Alex, but then he scoffed and walked away.

 _That's weird. Normally, he would yell at me. What's up with him?_

Alex knocked on John's door. "Come in!" John's voice called out. Alex noticed it sounded weaker than usual.

When he opened the door, he understood why. John was currently lying in bed, a wet towel resting on his forehead. A bell lay on his bedside table, but he paid it no attention. His eyes were half-open, but he still managed to smile at Alex. "Hey, Alex."

"Hey, John." Alex hesitated to tell John why he came in the first place. "Are you sick?"

John chuckled. "No, I like sleeping with wet towels on my head. Yes, I'm sick."

"Well, sorry to disturb you." Alex was about to back out the door, when John spoke.

"You need something."

"I can always ask someone else—"

"Alex, I said if you needed something, you can tell me. Even if"—he coughed—-"I'm dying in bed, don't be afraid to ask. Now, what do you need?"

"I, um, need to borrow your phone. To call someone. I'm supposed to meet them somewhere, but I don't know where."

John thought for a moment. "You don't have a phone?"

"No. Remember? I'm poor."

"Don't say that." John pointed over to his desk. "My phone's over there. You can use it to call your friend."

Alex found John's IPhone, which had a turtle phone case. "I'm gonna make my phone call outside, so I don't disturb you, okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, and… get well soon."

John smiled. "Thanks. Have fun with your friend. By the way, I told my dad not to bother you anymore."

"Thanks, I noticed. Alright, bye."

"Bye." John closed his eyes, and was fast asleep. Alex observed him for a moment. John was surprisingly peaceful when he wasn't moving around. His curls were spread out behind his head like a fan, and his lips were slightly parted. He was paler than normal thanks to his fever, and his freckles spattered his cheeks and nose like stars. For the first time, Alex noticed how long his eyelashes were.

 _He looks like a doll… maybe even an angel._ Alex caught himself midthought. _Ugh, what am I doing, staring like a creep at some guy while he sleeps? I have a phone call to make._ Alex peeked at the clock, which read 11:31. _Well, I'm late._

Still, as Alex gently closed the door behind him and dialed Angelica's number on John's phone, he couldn't stop thinking about John.

"Hello, who is this?" Angelica's voice answered on the other side.

"Hey Angelica, it's me, Alex."

* * *

"It's about time you told me where you were!" Angelica shouted into her phone, while Peggy covered her ears and Eliza winced. "Where have you been? We've been waiting for you outside the Plaza for one minute now!" She frowned. "What? What do you mean you—." She paused, presumably after getting interrupted, and sighed. "Alright. I guess I would do that too if my friend was sick." She listened to the other end for a bit, before responding, "No, it's fine. Sure, they're gonna be a little pissed, but they're cool." Some talking from the other end. "Whatever, but you missed your chance to hang out with three hot girls. Bye." She hung up, and let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong? Is he coming?" Eliza asked, though she partially knew what the answer was going to be.

"No, his friend got sick, so he wants to pay him a visit," Angelica answered.

"Oh," Eliza said, disappointed at the news. She had been looking forward to spending some more time with Alex.

"Aw come on!" Peggy pouted. "This is the second time he's ditched us!"

"Now now Peggy, he has his reasons," Angelica chided her.

"Angelica," Eliza said, trying to brighten their moods despite hers also being damp. "Remind us what we're looking for?"

Angelica smiled at Eliza's attempt to change the subject. "Eliza I'm looking for… a pizza place. I'm starving, let's go."

"Me too!" Peggy chimed in, and she and Eliza followed their sister into the busy world of the Plaza.

* * *

A/N: Alright, now I'm gonna go do my homework lol.


	7. Chapter 7: John's Sick Day

A/N:I have a strange attachment to historical figures who aren't even in the musical. And I also have a slight obsession with flashbacks and mother fluff.

* * *

John was sleeping when the door to his room opened, and Eleanor stepped inside. His mother crossed over to his bedside and stood there, looking down at him.

When John didn't wake up, she gently reached out and brushed a stray curl out of his face.

 _Oh John_ , she thought. _How much you've grown over these past years. It only seems like yesterday when you first came into the world._

She removed the now-dry towel on his forehead and replaced it with a new one she had brought with her.

 _I'll never forget how excited you were when you showed me your first turtle painting while I was pregnant with your sister._

Eleanor smiled, remembering their life in South Carolina.

" _Look, mommy! It's a turtle!"_

John stirred, and his head tilted slightly to one side.

" _That's beautiful, dear. You're a wonderful artist."_

Eleanor knelt down and pressed a slow kiss to her son's temple.

" _What an adorable son you have, Eleanor. He's going to be quite a handsome fellow when he grows up!"_

She stood back up again, and made her way quietly to the door.

" _Yes, he'll blow us all away. Someday."_

She opened the door and cast one last look at her son.

 _I'm dedicating every day of my life to you, John. I'll be sad when the day comes for me to let you go._

She closed the door behind her.

 _But for now, good night, my sweet angel._

* * *

John woke up sometime later. He glanced at the clock, which read 2:45.

 _Damn, I skipped lunch?_ Right on cue, his stomach growled. _Oh man, I'm so goddamn hungry._

John almost forgot about the little bell that sat on his bedside table, and he weakly reached over and grabbed it.

Ding-a-ling.

Almost immediately, someone came in.

"Yes, Master John?" Marcus asked, ready to serve.

"Hey, Marcus," John greeted the butler. "I'm a little hungry"—his stomach growled again, louder than before—-"Alright, I'm _very_ hungry." Marcus chuckled. "Can you get me some food? Maybe even leftovers if there are any."

The butler nodded. "Today it was spaghetti and meatballs, sir."

"That's okay." Marcus turned to leave, but then John called out, "Wait, there's something else I want to talk to you about." It had been weighing on his mind for a few days now. "Marcus, I need a huge favor from you, but you don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Of course. Anything for you, Master John."

"No, it's a really big favor. It's so big, you might have to make some sacrifices."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "And what, exactly, are you're asking me to do?"

* * *

"I'll do it."

"R-really? But you might have to—"

Marcus waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine. I can always see them again next year. I'll do it."

John nodded. "Alright. I'm not sure if this is gonna work, but I'm willing to give it a try."

"Would you like me to inform the others as well?"

"Yes please, but only the people I listed. They're the ones I trust the most to keep something like this under cover."

"Yes, sir." Marcus bowed. "I'll take my leave now." He left, and John was by himself.

 _I really hope this works, and I really, really hope Father won't find out._

* * *

When he was done with his lunch, John rang the bell again to have it taken away. Someone came into his room, though John wasn't expecting it to be Alex.

"Hey, John," Alex greeted, smiling at him.

John frowned. "Alex? I thought you were out with a friend."

"Er, I, uh, changed my mind."

"Why?"

Was that a blush John caught on Alex's face? "I, um, decided to stay and get to know everyone else here. You seemed to know them pretty well, so I thought I would do the same."

"Oh." John had a sneaking suspicion Alex was lying, so he casually added, "And what did you find out?"

"Well, I learned Marcus is of British descent and that he has family living in London. And that Rudy is from South Carolina like you. She actually worked for your family for a long time now, even before you were born." Alex thought for a moment. "Susie is from California, and she moved here to live with her grandmother, whose name is Lillian." Grandma Lillian was the elderly maid who Alex had helped at the library a week ago. "Susie told me she also has a boyfriend named Brett who's currently working for another family."

John raised his eyebrows. "Damn, you did your research."

Alex nodded, puffing up with pride. "Yup." He seemed to remember why he was there, because he added, "Um, what did you need me for? You rang the bell, right?"

"Oh I, uh, just wanted some company, that's all." No way was John letting Alex clean up after his food.

"I mean, being sick in bed doesn't really get you that much social interaction now, does it?"

John laughed. "No, that's why it's sucks. Hey, speaking of social interaction, can you pass me my phone?"

"Oh, sure." Alex walked over to John's desk, where he had returned John's phone hours ago after his phone call with Angelica. He retrieved the iPhone and handed it to John.

"Thanks." John opened his phone, and Alex saw a bunch of text messages pop up.

 **Horsules:** yo, John, u awake man?

 **LargeBaguette:** mon ami he's probably still asleep

 **Horsules:** yeah well tell him to wake up! I have this question on my science hw i need him to solve

 **LargeBaguette:** John mom ami, time to wake up!

 **LargeBaguette:** mon*

 **LargeBaguette:** i hate autocorrect

 **Horsules:** lol who doesn't

John started texting, and Alex looked over his shoulder.

 **You:** guys I'm awake now

 **Horsules:** finally! What took u so long? Don't tell me Martha dragged u off on another date again

 **You:** no it's nothing like that

 **You:** I'm sick guys

There was a silence in the group chat that even Alex could feel it radiating from John's phone. Then:

 **LargeBaguette:** WHaT?!

 **Horsules:** ur SIcK?!

 **LargeBaguette:** QUICK EVERYONE MEET AT JOHNS HOUSE

 **Horsules:** IM ON IT! ALREADY IN MY CAR

 **Horsules:** GOING THRU TIIIIIME

John rolled his eyes, and Alex laughed.

 **You:** don't kill urself Herc

A moment later, Alex and John heard a "ding-dong" come from downstairs.

"That was fast," John commented. They heard the door open, and then the pounding of footsteps as the new visitors rushed up the stairs.

"John are you okay, mon ami?!" Lafayette shrieked when he burst into John's room, followed by Herc.

"John, you dying, man?!" Herc yelled.

"I'm fine, guys," John said. "I'm just sick, is all."

"You're _just_ sick?! Mon ami, you never get sick!"

"Yeah, the amazing John Laurens in the place to be doesn't simply _get sick_! Did you eat something rotten again?!"

John glared at Herc. "What do you mean 'again'?"

It was then that Laf and Herc noticed Alex standing near the bed. Laf's eyes lit up upon seeing Alex. "Alex! Bonjour!"

"Bonjour, Monsieur Lafayette," Alex greeted the Frenchman. He turned to Hercules. "Hey, Herc!"

Herc grinned. "Sup, Alex?" His lips curled up into a smirk. "Didn't realize you would be here too. We're not… interrupting anything are we?"

For some reason, Alex felt his face heat up, while John rolled his eyes. "No, you dirty-minded pervert. Alex was just checking up on me because as you can see, I'm S-I-C-K."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Herc pulled out a paper bag and set it down on the small table next to John's bed. "Mom gave me some aspirin to bring to yah boy. You know, in case you get a really bad headache or something."

"Thanks Herc," John said.

"And _I_ got get-well-soon macaroons!" Laf declared, whipping out a box full of colorful macaroons. "The name even rhymes. Get it? Get-well- _soon_ maca _roons_? Tata Jane made them!"

Herc gave Laf a funny look. "Tata?"

"It means 'Auntie,'" Alex informed Hercules.

Herc's mouth formed an O. " _Oh._ "

"Here, we can all have some macaroons," Laf said cheerfully and placed the box on John's bed, so John could easily reach it.

Alex picked up a chocolate macaroon and took a small nibble out of it. It… actually tasted pretty good. He finished eating the rest of it and reached for another. After eating that one, he grabbed a third macaroon, then saw the smirking faces of the other three boys.

"You really like them, don't you?" Herc asked.

Alex blushed. "Yeah…"

"Can't blame you. Jefferson's mom sure knows how to bake," John said, popping a green macaroon into his mouth.

"Alright, now that we're all here, can we watch Netflix and chill?" John shot Herc a dirty look. "What?"

"You and your filthy-ass jokes," John muttered, reaching for a remote on his bedside table.

Laf perked up. "Ooh, can we watch Miraculous Ladybug?"

John and Herc groaned. "You still watch that?" Herc asked. "Isn't that, like, a kid's show or something?"

Laf pouted. "It was my childhood in France, and it's my manhood here."

"It's _my_ TV, Laf," John said, waving the remote in the air.

"Please, mon ami?" Laf begged. "How do you say it? 'With a cherry on top?'"

John sighed. "You know what? Since you got the phrase right, we'll watch Miraculous Ladybug. But only _one_ episode."

"That's too little!" Laf protested. "Make it one season, at least!"

"Um, what's Miraculous Ladybug about, exactly?" Alex asked.

Laf's eyes widened in horror. "You've never heard of Miraculous Ladybug?!"

"To be honest, I've never heard of the show either until you told me, Laf," Herc said.

"The only reason I know about it is because my sister's obsessed with it," John said, shrugging his shoulders.

" _You uncultured pigs_ ," Laf muttered.

" _The word is actually swine_ ," John corrected him in French.

" _Same thing._ "

"Can y'all not speak in French, please?" Herc piped up. "'Cuz you know, non-French speaker here."

"Sorry," John apologized.

"So… can someone explain to me what Miraculous Ladybug is?"

Laf opened his mouth to speak, when Herc interrupted him. "So basically it's a TV show about these two teenage superheroes. One's a rip-off Spider-Man with spots."

"Her name is _Ladybug_ ," Laf corrected.

"And the other one is her cat ninja sidekick."

"Chat Noir," Laf said under his breath.

"The villain guy is this dude who uses butterflies to turn people evil whenever they go through some shit in their lives."

"His name is Hawk Moth, and the butterflies are called akumas," Laf huffed. "Geez Hercules, stop degrading my favorite show."

"So Alex," Herc continued. "Sound like something you wanna watch?"

"If Laf really likes it, I guess I'll give it a try."

Laf grinned. "Yay, Alex wants to watch Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Let's see where it is," John said, using his remote to scour Netflix.(lmao is Miraculous Ladybug even on Netflix?) "Wup, found it. We're watching Thor: Ragnarok after this."

"Now _that's_ something I wanna rewatch!" Herc exclaimed.

"Miraculous Ladybug first!" Laf pouted.

* * *

"I'll never get that theme song out of my head," Alex said. Lafayette and Hercules had left, and he and John were the only ones left in the room.

"So did you like it?" John asked.

"Meh, it's okay. I didn't say anything because I didn't wanna hurt Laf's feelings."

"Laf is stronger than that, you know," John said jokingly. "I mean, Herc expresses his dislike of the show all the time, and Laf still talks to him."

"Yeah…"

"What did you think of Thor: Ragnarok?"

"It was really funny, actually. Someone could make a bunch of memes out of it."

"'I've been falling for thirty minutes!'" John quoted.

Alex laughed. "I never thought I would like superhero movies."

"Wait, that was the first superhero movie you've ever watched?"

"I don't have a TV…?"

"Ok, ok, good point." John's hazel eyes lit up with an idea. "You should come by so we can watch more movies together. Seriously, you should see the original Iron Man movie."

Alex scratched the back of his neck. "When I have time."

John grinned. "Yay!"

Alex's eyes landed on a green stuffed turtle sitting casually on one of John's shelves. "You really like turtles a lot, don't you?"

"Hehe, yeah…"

"Is there a reason?"

John shrugged. "When I was younger, one of my dad's friends showed me a real softshell turtle for me to draw. From then on, I couldn't stop drawing them. I think they're really fascinating."

"How so?"

"Well… when you think of a turtle, what do you see?"

Alex thought for a moment. "I see a slow-moving animal with a shell."

"Ah, but that's the thing: not all turtles are slow. Those are tortoises. They're land turtles, so they're really slow. _But_ that doesn't mean all turtles are slow. There are also sea turtles, and they can swim at 22 miles per hour. Alright, they're mostly pretty slow at swimming, but it's possible for them to swim faster!"

Alex snickered. "You sure know a lot about turtles."

"Haha, yeah, mostly their anatomy." John perked up. "Did you know that a turtle's spine is actually attached to its shell? That's why you never see turtles without their shells. They're literally a part of the turtle's body! Like, can you think of any other animals that basically _have_ _a_ _shell for a back_?"

Alex shook his head. "Not that I know of. The way you put it, I guess turtles are pretty unique."

John grinned. "I know, right?" His enthusiasm dimmed when he yawned, and rubbed his head. "My head hurts now."

Alex got off of John's bed. "You should go to sleep, then. I won't bother you anymore."

John wriggled back under his covers. "You don't bother me, Alex. You know that, right?" Before Alex could respond, he continued. "Oh well, good night. Close the"—he yawned—-"door." Then he fell asleep.

Alex noticed the empty, sauce-stained plate on John's bedside, and took the plate with him when he left.

* * *

A/N: Now I kinda want to make a spin-off story from that sweet moment with Eleanor and John. And I've actually never watched Miraculous Ladybug. I just like reading their fan comics lol.


	8. Chapter 8: May You Always

A/N:I learned in history class… Philip was the name of Alexander the Great's dad… and we all know Alexander was the name of Philip Hamilton's dad. Mind blown yet?

Also, I searched up Hamgelica while I was doing my homework to motivate myself, and I ended up looking at this Hamgelica smut comic… wtf Google keep this PG plz.

* * *

"Alright Squabble Squad," Mr. Washington declared. "Club time has started. You know what that means."

"Debate to the death!" the class cheered. That was, Alex had found out, their motto for the club.

"That's right! Except no death," Mr. Washington said.

"Aw come on!" one student groaned.

"So," Mr. Washington continued. "Who would like to go this time?"

"Me," a tall boy with ginger hair said, raising his hand.

"Aw look at that," Jefferson drawled. "It's Samuel Wee-bury."

Samuel shot him a glare. "It's _Seabury_ ," he cried indignantly.

Jefferson rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Who wants to go against Samuel?" Mr. Washington asked.

Alex stood up. "I'll go."

Mr. Washington smiled. "Alright, Alex. Issue on _this_ time's table: America wants to gain independence from Britain. Now, we already know how _that_ turned out"—several students snickered—-"but for the sake of this debate, we'll pretend America is still deciding on whether or not to go to war with Britain." He looked in turn at Alex, then Seabury. "For or against?"

"For," Alex said, while Seabury picked, "Against."

"Samuel, you go first."

 _What's up with me always going second?_ Alex thought.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" Seabury started. "My name is Samuel Seabury, and I present free thoughts on the proceedings of the Continental Congress." He cleared his throat. "Heed not the rabble who scream revolution. They have not your interests at heart."

"Oh my God, tear this dude apart," Jefferson muttered. Madison snickered.

"Chaos and bloodshed are not a solution," Seabury continued, ignoring Jefferson. "Don't let them lead you astray. This congress does not speak for me."

"Let him be," Burr snapped when Jefferson opened his mouth again.

"They're playing a dangerous game. I pray the king shows you his mercy. For shame, for shame!" Seabury ended.

 _This guy_ , Alex thought, _is pretty bad at debate. Beating him should be easy._

He was about to start his counter-argument, when the loudspeaker in the classroom crackled on.

"You'll be back," the dramatic voice of Principal King declared. "Soon you'll see. You'll remember you belong to me. And when push comes to shove, I will kill your frie—" He stopped suddenly. "Oh my, was—was this on this entire time? Um…" There was an awkward pause. "Er, carry on with your activities. Pretend you didn't hear that." The loudspeaker turned off.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the class erupted into laughter. Alex clutched his stomach as he laughed really hard. Angelica tilted her head back and let out a series of ringing laughter. Burr's lips turned up in a smile of mirth. Even Mr. Washington snickered at his boss's slipup.

"You belong to me," Jefferson imitated in a slimy-sounding voice. "I will kill if I have to. Oopsies, I left my loudspeaker on. Forget I said anything about murder, okay?" The students around him bursted into more fits of giggles.

"Alright, alright, settle down. Settle down," Mr. Washington said, wiping a tear from his eye. He swept an arm to Alex, who was still clutching his stomach. "Alexander."

"Okay, okay, I'm good." Alex snorted. "Okay, _now_ I'm good." He turned to Seabury. _Sorry about this, Samuel._ He opened his mouth.

* * *

"Did you _really_ have to say all that?" Angelica asked. She and Alex were walking to the school entrance together after Squabble Squad. It was becoming a norm for them, and to be honest, Angelica didn't mind at all. On the contrary, she found herself actually enjoying it.

Alex shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault he was so bad at arguing with me."

"Yeah, but there's a difference between arguing and practically humiliating someone in front of their peers."

Alex gave her a half-smirk, which Angelica tried really hard not to find attractive. "And you don't do that all the time with Jefferson?"

"That's different," Angelica pouted. "Thomas deserves it."

"Now look who's talking."

"Well, someone ought to keep him in line every now and then. He practically has the whole school wrapped around his finger." She raised her chin confidently and winked at Alex. "Just think of me as the Protector of the Innocent."

Alex snorted. "How about the Queen of Burns?"

She playfully swatted his arm. "And what's _your_ noble title, Sir Hammy-nonstop-ham?"

"Oh my, what an _atrocious_ name," Alex said, a joking glimmer in his eye. "May I change it please?"

"Uh… no," Angelica said, giving him boop on the nose. _Oh god, I took it too far_ , she thought as soon as her finger made physical contact with his nose.

But Alex grinned, not minding at all. _Phew._ "Did you just give me a nose boop?" he joked. "You know touching someone without their consent is illegal, right?"

Angelica felt heat rise to her cheeks. "It was a nose boop, idiot," she retorted. "Geez, don't get the wrong idea. Besides"—she lifted her chin up—-"as your upperclassman, I have the authority to nose boop whoever I want."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll let _you_ get away with it, since you're the _amazing_ Angelica Schuyler, and I ought to feel _blessed_ to be graced with _your_ presence."

Angelica smirked. "I'm flattered, Sir Hamilton. Now, the real question is: what if it was the _vile_ Thomas Jefferson who gave you that nose boop instead?"

"Then I'll skin him alive and feed it to my dog."

She laughed. "But what if you don't have a dog?"

"Then I'll feed him to the stray cats in the neighborhood with a side of milk and some salt." He pondered for a moment, knitting his eyebrows while he was deep in thought. He looked pretty cute when he did that. "Actually, I'll cut him up into tiny bits and give them to the pigeons. Those things will eat almost anything humans throw at them."

"I don't think even pigeons will wanna eat Thomas."

"Hey, you never know. Maybe that's why they follow him everywhere he goes, 'cuz they're waiting for the perfect time to strike."

"I'm pretty sure that's because his hair would make perfect nesting material."

An image of Thomas Jefferson with a nest of baby birds peeking out of his afro flashed through their heads, and they burst out laughing.

"Whatcha laughing at?" a voice from behind them asked. They jumped, and spun around. It was Peggy.

"Peggy, you scared the shit out of me!" Angelica cried.

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Your Highness. Maybe you wouldn't have been so surprised if you weren't flirting with our dear Alexander here."

Alex snickered, while the back of Angelica's neck heated up. "I was doing no such thing!" she flared hotly. "As if I would want someone like _him_!" She pointed at Alex.

"Feeling's mutual," Alex responded, grinning good-naturedly.

Eliza strode up to them. "Hi, Angie!" she greeted, then in a quieter voice, "H-hi, Alex!"

"Hey, Eliza!" Alex greeted her back.

"Eliza, hey now that we're all here, let's get going!" Angelica rushed, pushing her sisters toward the doors. "See you tomorrow, Alex, haha!" The sooner she got of there, the better.

"Bye, guys!" Alex called after them.

"Bye!" all three of them said.

 _What was that?_ Angelica thought. _Why was I so eager to leave all of a sudden? I don't usually get so flustered!_

"Hey look, Lorie's waiting for us!" Peggy said, pointing at a white Sedan that was waiting for them. A black-haired woman leaned against the hood of the car. She looked up from her phone and got off the car, waving at the girls.

"'Bout time you ladies got here," she said good-naturedly.

"Lorie!" Peggy cried. Lorie was her favorite servant, probably because she was one of the few servants in the Schuyler mansion who didn't act so proper in front of them.

"What's up, Pegs?" Lorie fistbumped Peggy, and held the car door open for her. "Eliza, hello!" Eliza smiled at her in greeting. "And how could I forget the wittiest of them all, Angelica!" Angelica blushed, flattered.

"Nice seeing you again, Lorie," she told the woman and got into the car.

Lorie started the car engine, and they were off. As Angelica peered out the window, she saw Alex walking by himself. Probably toward a subway station.

"Look, it's Alex!" Peggy pointed out before Angelica could say anything. She reached over Eliza and Angelica, and opened Angelica's car window. "Hey, Alex!" she shouted.

The boy looked up in surprise and waved at the sisters, who waved back. The car turned a corner, and Alex was gone.

"Who's that?" Lorie asked.

"That's Alex," Peggy answered. "He's a friend from school."

"I met him in Squabble Squad," Angelica added.

Lorie smiled. "Did you, now? So, what's he like? Is he anything like that Thomas guy you told me about?"

Angelica snorted. "Oh, he's better than Thomas." _Way better._

"He's perfect," Angelica thought she heard Eliza whisper.

"Well, I wouldn't say _perfect_ ," Angelica said. Eliza looked up, embarrassed at being heard. "More like, he's not a stuck-up jerk but is still pretty cocky. But cocky in a good way."

Lorie smirked. "He looks pretty cute."

That caught Angelica by surprise. "I-I mean he's not bad-looking, but he's not t-that cute, I don't think," she stammered. Alex? Cute? She thought of the boy, how his big brown eyes twinkled intelligently, how his mouth turned up into a half-smirk when he was amused, how his hair looked so soft and easy to mess with… no, Alex wasn't cute. He was handsome, boy does he know it.

"Well?" Lorie questioned. "Do you think he's cute, Angie?"

Angelica wrinkled her nose. "Not in the slightest." _Yes. Very._

Peggy groaned. "Ugh, why do you guys always talk about boys?"

Lorie chuckled. "Alright, what do _you_ wanna talk about?"

"Well, if you ask me, I find _food_ pretty attractive," Peggy answered matter-of-factly. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Waait a minute… is that Popeyes I smell?!"

Lorie whistled. "Whaaat?" she asked innocently. "I dunno what you're talking about."

"It is, isn't it?" Peggy leaned forward in her seat. "Don't lie to me, Lorie!"

"Okay, okay, you got me. I may have bought Popeye chicken on my way here."

Peggy gasped. "I hope you're planning to share some of that good stuff with me," she demanded jokingly.

"What good stuff? The drummies, or the hot sauce?"

"Both."

"I mean, I was actually planning to give this to my brother for dinner…"

Peggy pouted. "Aw, come on!"

Lorie grinned. "Psyche, it's all for you!" She stopped the car at a red light, reached over to her empty passenger seat, and handed a box of Popeye chicken to a drooling Peggy.

"Yas, today's mah lucky day!" the youngest Schuyler sister cried happily, cradling the box in her arms.

Angelica looked at the box disapprovingly. "You really don't need to spoil my sister like that," she told Lorie.

The black-haired woman grinned. "But if I don't give her my undivided attention, who will? Everyone's always paying attention to you two"—she gestured at Angelica and Eliza—-"and forgetting about the third Schuyler sister. By the way, Peggy"—she winked at the youngest sister—-"you are best girl."

Peggy grinned. "Aw, shucks. Thanks!"

"Wait, what about your brother?" Eliza worried.

Lorie absentmindedly waved a hand as she pressed the gas pedal on a green light. "He and I are going to a family dinner tonight. It's his Lunar birthday today."

"Oh!" Angelica exclaimed. "Tell him we wish him a happy birthday!"

"Yeah, Happy Birthday!" Eliza repeated.

"Herpy Berthday!" Peggy said through a full mouth.

Lorie smiled. "Thanks, guys. I'll tell him you said 'Happy Birthday.'"

"Wait, you said _Lunar_ birthday," Eliza pointed out. "Does that mean it's not his actual birthday?"

"Well, it's his birthday according to the Lunar calendar." There was a confused silence. "You may know the Lunar calendar better as the Chinese calendar."

"Oh, that makes sense!" Eliza said. Angelica smiled. Eliza was always eager to learn more about other cultures, especially the ones in Asia. "So, the Lunar calendar is different from the American calendar?"

Lorie nodded. "Yes."

"That's so cool! So, you celebrate two birthdays every year?"

"When you put it that way, sort of."

"When's _your_ Lunar birthday, Lorie?"

Lorie was quiet. "I don't have one. Or I do, but we don't celebrate it."

"But you just said you celebrate two birthdays a year."

"Well, we celebrate my brother's, father's, paternal grandfather's, paternal grandmother's, and even my uncle's Lunar birthdays, but we never celebrated mine or my mother's."

"What? How come?"

"I guess it's just not traditional for a Chinese family to celebrate the Lunar birthday of a girl who isn't the matriarch of the household."

"Is every Chinese family like this?"

"Mine is, but I don't want to speak for all the Chinese families in the world. Then again, in the past, men were considered more important and powerful, while women were expected to be humble servants to their husbands."

"I see."

Lorie smiled. "I guess that's my cultural heritage lesson for today."

 _Ping._ Angelica looked down at the new text message she received on her phone. She smiled and shook her head, and started texting back.

"Who ya texting, big sis?" Peggy asked, peeking over.

"It's just John asking how I'm doing," Angelica answered.

"Aw," Eliza cooed. "That's sweet."

Peggy groaned. "You're still with that guy? Seriously, Angie, you can do _soo_ much better than him."

"What's wrong with John Church?" Eliza asked.

"Yeah, isn't he the ideal man for me?" Angelica said. "Obedient, patient, humble…"

"Dim-witted, boring, close-minded," Peggy continued. "The opposite of you…" she trailed off and gestured to Angelica expectantly.

"I wouldn't say he's _close-minded_ …"

"Okay, how about he's way too _agreeable_ with you," Peggy corrected. "Like, it's like he doesn't even have his own opinions. Just does whatever _you_ wanna do."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Well, I dunno, but you always strike me as someone who would want a partner who could contradict them from time to time, you know what I'm saying?"

Angelica snorted. "Why would I want a husband like that?" But the truth was: Peggy was right. It would be nice if Angelica found someone who she could have passionate arguments with every now and then. Someone who didn't just listen to her, but could also _understand_ her, too. Someone like…

A brief image of Alex flashed through her head. Angelica shook her head. _No, don't think about him_ , she scolded herself. _Sure, he's cute, and it's fun debating with him, but is he really my type? Nah, better marry someone who wouldn't be able to outsmart me in the future._

"Like, I'm sure there must be _someone_ out there who would suit you better," Peggy continued. Once again, Alex appeared in Angelica's head. "How 'bout you, 'Liza? Got anyone special in mind?"

Eliza jumped in surprise, and fiddled with a strand of her long, black hair. "N-no," she lied, her cheeks turning pink.

Peggy gasped. "Oh my god, you are crushing on someone! Who is it?"

Angelica smirked. "Yeah Eliza, who?"

"I-it's no one important," Eliza stammered.

Peggy snorted. "Important my ass. It's definitely important, alright."

"It's n-no one, I swear!"

"Girls, we've arrived at our destination," Lorie declared.

"Phew," Eliza breathed in relief, glad to be saved by Lorie.

The car pulled into the driveway. The sisters got out, and Lorie opened the mansion door for them.

"I'll leave you alone for now, but we're not done yet," Peggy said, smirking at Eliza. Then she called out loud, "We're baaack!"

A butler bowed to them. "Welcome home, Miss Angelica, Miss Eliza, and Miss Mar—"

"Peggy's fine, Chris," Peggy interrupted. "No need to remind me that I was named after a cocktail."

"Apologies, Miss."

"Eh, whatever. Apologies accepted. Seriously, though," Peggy muttered. "Why did Mom and Dad choose an alcoholic drink for my name?"

"Not many people know it," Angelica said. "But Angelica is actually a type of herb."

"Well, I'd rather be named after some plant than alcohol."

"Girls, you're home!" A man and woman emerged out of the hallways and the servants bowed to them.

Even at the age of forty something years old, Philip and Catherine Schuyler were still a rather striking couple. Philip's pale skin and straight black hair, which Eliza inherited, contrasted greatly with his wife's darker complexion and curly hair, which Angelica inherited.

Philip's nose wrinkled when he saw the Popeye chicken in Peggy's arms. "Ms. Cheng, did you buy my daughter food again?" he scolded, though his eyes were filled with mirth.

Lorie shrugged. "Hey, girl was hungry."

The man shook his head. "At this rate, she's going to become wider and wider instead of taller and taller," he muttered. He reached out to the box. "May _I_ have some…?" He grinned jokingly.

Peggy stuck out her tongue. "Not a chance, Daddy." She ran upstairs with the box, but then momentarily returned downstairs and handed a drum to him. "Okay fine, here. Alright, bye!" Then she ran back upstairs.

"She didn't offer _me_ one," Angelica complained to Eliza, who giggled.

"Dinner will be ready shortly, girls," Catherine informed them. "Just do your homework in the meantime."

"Alright!" they answered in unison, then rushed upstairs to their respective bedrooms. After a while, though, Eliza popped her head inside Angelica's door.

"Hey, may I come in?" she asked.

"I dunno, are you Peggy?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"Okay, then you may come in." Eliza opened the door all the way and sat herself next to Angelica on the pink bed.

"So, what's up?" Angelica asked.

Like before, Eliza started playing with a strand of her hair. "So you know how Peggy was asking me about my crush before?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Angelica turned to face her sister.

"Well, I actually _do_ have someone in mind…" Eliza flushed pink.

"And who is this special someone?" Angelica said teasingly. She was really curious—and excited—about Eliza's answer.

"It's…"

"Well…"

"It's…"

"OMG just spill it already!"

"It's Alex!" Eliza blurted out.

There was a moment of silence. Angelica was sure she heard it wrong. "Who?" she asked again.

"It's Alex!" Eliza squealed excitedly. "You know, the cute boy from your debate club?"

Angelica felt her stomach sink deeper and deeper. Eliza liked Alex?

"Yeah, I know him," Angelica said, trying to make it sound like he was some dull boy instead of the amazing, bright boy Angelica thought him to be. "What… what do you like about him?"

Eliza giggled. "Well, he's smart, and really really cute. Have you seen his eyes? I just look into them, and the sky's the limit!" She sighed. "I'm so into him. He's got me… helpless! He's just _so_ perfect!"

"Yeah, he is," Angelica said quietly. "I-I'm sure you two would make a great couple."

Eliza but her lip nervously. "Oh, I don't know. He might not be into me."

"Yes, he will be," Angelica said firmly. Her sister had a crush on the boy she liked, and there was only one thing she could do. "Because I'm going to help you."

Eliza's big brown eyes widened. "Really? You'll help me?"

Angelica nodded. "Of course. What are sisters for?"

Eliza gave her sister a hug. "Oh, thank you so much, Angie! I owe you one!"

Angelica shook her head, smiling despite the conflicting emotions stirring inside of her. "No need to owe me. We're family, remember?" She took a deep breath. "How about I arrange for us to go on a double date this weekend?"

"Double date? With who?"

"Me and John, and you and Alex. So you guys don't feel too awkward."

"Still, _this_ weekend? So soon?"

"The sooner the better. We don't want Alex falling in love with someone else while you sit there pining for him."

"Oh, okay." Eliza got off Angelica's bed. "I'm gonna be going now. Let you do your homework, okay?"

"Sure, see ya later, sis." Angelica shot finger guns at Eliza. She giggled and waved bye, before she exited the room.

Angelica sank back into her bed, staring at the ceiling. _I'm doing the right thing_ , she assured herself. _It's not like I had much of a chance with him anyway._

She closed her eyes, and saw Alex. He was smiling that charming smile of his, and waved at her. Then she saw Eliza walking toward him, and his gaze diverted to her sister instead. The two joined hands, and walked away from Angelica together. Angelica didn't notice the lone tear that trailed down her cheek.

 _May you always… be satisfied._

* * *

A/N:LilyPauls23, I appreciate the offer, but I am currently not looking for an editor. Thanks for offering to help me out, though:)


	9. Chapter 9: The Side of You I Never Knew

A/N:This is not very important, but I changed the genre from Friendship to Drama because… there's gonna be a shit ton of it soon.

 ***Trigger Warning: Homophobic Slurs***

* * *

 _She was standing in front of the newly wedded couple, a glass of wine in her hand._

" _A toast to the groom," she declared, raising the glass to the handsome young man._

" _To the groom, to the groom, to the groom," the other guests chorused._

" _To the bride," she continued, facing the handsome man's equally beautiful bride._

" _To the bride, to the bride, to the bride!"_

 _Said bride blushed and leaned her head on her fiancé-turned-husband's shoulder._

" _From your sister," she said. "Who is always by your side." For special effect, she winked and gave a thumbs-up. The bride giggled, and her husband kissed her cheek._

" _To your union," the maid of honor continued._

" _To the union, to the revolution!" the soldiers at the wedding cheered. The man straightened up, determination set in his eyes._

" _And the hope that you provide," she said, smiling despite the empty feeling in her chest. "May you always… be satisfied."_

" _Rewind… rewind… Angie… Angie… hey Angie wake up!"_

Angelica jolted awake from her dream. She was at her desk, a pain building up in her arms where her head had been resting. Thomas stood over her, arms crossed.

"And the queen awakens from her slumber," he said, smirking. "Had a nice dream, Sleeping Beauty?"

Despite her mind still being foggy from the dream, Angelica's cheeks turned pink. "Shut up, Thomas," she snapped, then looked around the empty classroom. She noticed a young girl standing at the doorway, recognizing her as Sally Hemings, Thomas' servant. The girl was hovering in and out of the door, deciding whether or not to go in.

Thomas noticed Angelica's confused expression, and rolled his eyes. "Class ended five minutes ago. Just got my essay back from old Franklin." He scowled at the red markings on the paper in his hand. "What's wrong with 'We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable'? Instead, that bald grapefruit had to go and change it to 'We hold these truths to be self-evident.'"

"Don't insult Mr. Franklin like that!" Angelica scolded, her fiery energy back. "He's an amazing teacher, and you should be grateful he spent some of his time editing your essay! You're just sensitive!" (True Jefferson really was an oversensitive tall bean)

Someone cleared their throat behind Thomas, and he and Angelica jumped at the sight of their history teacher, Mr. Franklin. Benjamin Franklin was a squat chubby man who was a foot shorter than Thomas. His wisdom-filled eyes were crinkled at the edges at he gazed on amusedly at his students. Angelica respected him greatly.

"Ah, I see you're awake, Miss Schuyler," Mr. Franklin said, chuckling. "While I do appreciate you defending me, you shouldn't lash out at your own classmates like that."

Angelica hung her head shamefully. "Sorry, Mr. Franklin," she apologized immediately. "I'm also sorry for sleeping in class."

Mr. Franklin smiled kindly at the girl. "It's okay, Angelica. Everyone makes mistakes. Although, please refrain from doing it again. As for you, Thomas." His gaze turned to Thomas. "Next time you decide to insult someone, remember: walls have ears." Thomas' face heated up, and he mumbled a "Sorry, sir" as Mr. Franklin walked over to his teacher's desk—-"All is forgiven, Thomas!"—and picked up the bag sitting on it. "I'll be going now," he called over his shoulder. "Have a good evening."

"Bye, Mr. Franklin! You too!" Angelica hastily called back.

"Can you not be a goody-two-shoes for once?" Thomas muttered.

"I'd rather be a goody-two-shoes than an asshole," Angelica retorted.

"Tch."

"Um, Thomas s-sir?" Sally said timidly from the classroom door. "Are you r-ready to go home y-yet?"

"Yeah, yeah, coming," Thomas drawled. He tossed his book bag at Sally. "Carry this."

"Y-yes, sir." The poor girl was staggering under the weight of the heavy bag.

"Hey!" Angelica gently took the book bag from Sally and violently threw it at Thomas. "Carry your own bag, lazybones!"

Thomas glared at her, but he kept the bag. "Hmph, bossypants." He marched away. Sally moved to follow him, but Angelica stopped her.

"Let me know if he gives you any more trouble," she told the younger girl.

The girl looked uncertainly at Angelica, but then she nodded. "Um, o-okay." She ducked her head. "T-thank you," she added shyly.

Angelica smiled. "No problem."

"Sally! What's taking you so long?" Thomas shouted over his shoulder. "Angelica, you better not be planning to kidnap my servant!"

"C-coming, sir!" Sally cried, and said a hurried goodbye to Angelica before she rushed to catch up with her master.

Angelica sighed and shook her head. This was like slavery all over again. _Why do they even allow this type of thing at school anyway?_

 _Ping._ Angelica took out her phone, and opened up the group chat with her sisters.

 **AndPeggy:** Yo, u hav squabble squad 2day?

 **AndPeggy:** cuz if u arent im ready to go home

 **You:** no i don't have Squabble Squad today

 **PurestOfThemAll:** We're waiting outside for u

 **You:** alright I'll be there

Angelica half walked, half jogged to the school entrance. Eliza and Peggy waved to her when they saw her approaching.

"Damn, another school day gone by," Peggy commented as the three of them walked out to the school parking lot together. "At this rate, summer vacation will be here in no time!" She smiled happily to herself.

"Angelica!" Angelica's heart fluttered when she heard that voice. She turned to see Alex walking towards her. Eliza's gaze also turned to him, and Angelica remembered with a stab of guilt the promise she had made to Eliza. Alex noticed the other two Schuyler sisters as well. "Hey, Eliza! Hey, Peggy!"

"Hi, Alex," Eliza said as confidently as she could, not taking her brown eyes off of him.

"Alex!" Peggy high-fived him. "Quick, guys, let's kidnap him while we still can."

"Peggy!" Eliza exclaimed, alarmed.

"Uh, no thanks," Angelica said. "I don't need filth like him stepping into our house."

Alex snorted. "I'll have you know that I still have the dignity to take showers." He started to back away. "Well, I wanted to come over and say hi. I'll be going now. Don't want to keep you guys waiting anymore." He leaned in close to Angelica. "Plus, your butler is giving me the death stare now. Alright, gotta go! Bye!"

"Wait, Alex!" Angelica quickly grabbed Alexander's arm, surprising both her and Alex.

Alex turned around to face her. "Yes?"

Angelica released his arm, her heart starting to beat faster now. While Peggy already climbed into the car, Eliza stayed put, watching the two of them closely.

"So, we never got to hang out at the Plaza that time," Angelica started, aware of Eliza's eyes staring at her back. "Wanna… try again this Saturday?"

Alex's brown eyes widened a little. "Oh! Sure." Angelica heard Eliza breathe a sigh of relief. "Same time as last time, or…?"

"Yeah, same time," Angelica answered. "I'll be bringing my boyfriend along, so you guys can meet each other."

Alex looked surprised. "You have a boyfriend? I didn't think you'd be the type to date."

"Uh, yes I do," Angelica answered, partially offended. "Anyway, it's gonna be you, me, Eliza, and my boyfriend, whose name is John by the way."

Alex sucked in a breath. Angelica frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh! Nothing. Er, what's your boyfriend's last name?"

"It's Church. Why?"

"Ah, it's nothing. Just checking something, that's all." He grinned and waved at her. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, guys!" And he was gone.

Angelica turned and came face to face with Eliza.

"You… actually did it," her sister breathed in wonder. "You asked him out."

Angelica rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I wouldn't say I asked him out. More like I _invited_ him to hang out with us."

Eliza bit her lip. "It doesn't seem like he knows it's gonna be a double date. Maybe we shouldn't have tricked him like that."

"What are you talking about? No one tricked anyone. It's true. We're all gonna hang out." Angelica smirked at Eliza. "And once he falls for you, he'll be hanging out with you more. Problem solved."

Eliza blushed. "Thanks, Angie," she said softly. "I really appreciate you doing this for me." She hugged Angelica. "You're the best sister ever."

"Aw, shucks," Angelica gushed, even though her insides were being ripped apart at that moment. _No, you did the right thing. What's done is done. No going back now._

"Hey, you guys coming home or what?" Peggy said impatiently. "Congrats, you asked Alex out on a date. Now can we go home yet?"

"Coming, coming," Angelica muttered. "Geez, be a little more happy for your sister, Pegs. She's gonna get the boy of her dreams soon."

"Angelica!" Eliza said, turning red in the face. "It's not guaranteed he's gonna like me back."

"Oh, but he will," Angelica said. "Who wouldn't fall for someone like you?"

* * *

 _Earlier that day…_

John wasn't exactly having a good day. He'd gotten his phone confiscated earlier that morning. Principal King just _happened_ to be walking down the hallway right as John took out his phone to check the time.

"No phones in the hallway!" the man had said in his annoying British accent as he snatched the phone away. "I'll be taking that. You'll get it back at the end of the day."

 _Stupid bastard_ , John thought bitterly as Principal King walked away, his nose held high in the air.

Then it turned out John had forgotten his book report for his literature class, and the strict-ass teacher gave him a zero—"No book report, no grade!"—and practically humiliated him in front of the whole class.

 _Great. How could this day possibly get any worse?_

John was already in a pretty bad mood when he got to Phys. Ed, though he tried his best not to show it.

"Dude, what's up with you?" Herc asked while they were doing their usual stretching exercises. "You look like a ticking time bomb about to explode."

"Oh, _do_ I, now?" John answered sarcastically. "Gee, I wonder why."

"Ma petite tortue, is something the matter?" Laf inquired, joining in their conversation.

"Fucking Principal King swiped my phone today," John muttered under his breath so Professor Washington, who was not just a history teacher but also their gym teacher, couldn't hear.

"Yikes," Herc whispered back. "Well, it happens to the best of us. I got mine taken twice already."

"Seriously, that rule about no phones in the hallway is so stupid," John complained. "Like, it's not even bothering anyone, so what's the point? I also left my book report at home and my bitchy-ass teacher basically made an example out of me in front of the whole class. 'You see, class, _this_ is why you don't want to forget your book report!'" John imitated in a high-pitched, womanly voice. "'Or else you end up like _this_ irresponsible student here!'" He closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "I just wanna yeet myself out the window now."

"Don't worry, mon ami," Laf comforted him. "It will get better soon."

Professor Washington blew his whistle. "Stretching time's over! Get into your teams and let's play volleyball!"

"Look, you can let out your frustration with volleyball," Herc suggested.

"Oh boy, look who we're playing against." Lafayette pointed at the other side of the net. "It's Charles Lee."

If there was anyone who John would rather not see at the moment, it was Charles Lee. Partially shaved head, stupid whiny voice, and an obsession with dogs, Charles Lee was probably one of the most unlikable people John had ever met. Their rivalry began in middle school, when Lee had made fun of Lafayette for his French origins, and John had stood up to him. Since then, they've been the worst of enemies.

"Hey, Laurens!" Lee sneered from the other side of the net. "Hanging out with your boyfriends as usual, I see."

"Hi, Lee," John greeted him dryly. "Forever alone as usual, I see."

"Oof," Herc said, while Lafayette snickered.

Lee's smirk turned to a glare. "Better watch your mouth, Laurens, or a volleyball might come flying into it."

"Feeling's mutual," John called back, and the volleyball game started.

It was, like the rest of John's day, going horribly. John's team was losing, and with each victory on Lee's side, Lee's taunts grew worse and worse. John was starting to lose it.

"Finally lost your spunk, huh Laurens?"

"Ouch, that must've hurt Laurens!"

"One day those dots on your nose are gonna give you cancer and eat your skin alive!"

"Ignore him," Herc whispered over to John after that last one. "He's all bark and no bite."

"Aw, is the little faggot mad?" Lee sneered.

Just then, the ball sailed over the net and straight at John. John couldn't hold it back. He bumped the ball with all the anger that had been building up inside him. The ball soared back over the net, and hit Lee smack in the stomach.

Lee crumpled up and clutched his stomach, his eyes bugged out in shock and then scrunched up in pain.

"Lee, are you alright?" John couldn't help but call out despite himself. _Damn did I actually do that?_

"What happened?" Professor Washington asked as he came over.

Before John could answer, Lee pointed accusingly at John. "Laurens got mad at me for no reason and hit me, sir," he wheezed out. John's mouth fell open in disbelief.

Professor Washington looked at Lee skeptically, then at John. "Is this true?"

"No, sir," John quickly explained. "It was an accident, I swear." _Of course Lee would try to put the blame on me._

"He speaks the truth, sir." Lafayette and Hercules joined them. "We were there," Laf continued.

Professor Washington nodded. "I see." He gave Lee a hard stare. "Are you feeling well?" Lee shook his head. "Alright, go to the nurse's office. And then come see me after school for detention. The next time you try to get a student in trouble, I'll be calling your parents."

Lee got up, and glared at John on his way out of the gym. "General's pet," he spat behind their teacher's back, and he was gone.

Hours later, Lee was back to tormenting John during lunchtime. "General's pet," he kept calling John. "General's pet!"

Martha was hanging out with her friends today, to John's relief. If only he could say the same for Lee. John calmly ate his hamburger while Lee and his equally slimy friends hovered behind him, occasionally flicking a crumb into his hair. _Don't punch him don't punch him don't punch him._

Finally, Hercules and Laf arrived, and Lee walked away. For a moment, John was relieved, thinking that was the end of it. But then Lee came back, insulting the three of them together.

"Aw, look at that," he said loudly to the other bullies. "It's the General's three little musketeers."

"Leave us alone," Herc growled, while Laf glared at them.

"Look, Charles!" one of the other boys exclaimed. "The Irish thing talks!" They erupted into laughter.

" _You assholes_ ," Laf said in French. " _You torment us because you have nothing better to do with your sorry lives._ "

"What did you just say?" Lee snapped. "Hey faggot, can you translate what the little French boy said just now?"

"John?" Alex couldn't have arrived at a wronger time. "Laf? Herc?" His brown eyes landed on Lee. "What's going on here?"

Lee looked at Alex, then John. He smirked. "Who's the shorty? I didn't know you had a new boyfriend, Laurens. You gonna introduce me to him?"

Alex looked taken aback. He glared at Lee. "Excuse me?"

Lee laughed. "Well," he questioned John. "Is he?"

"Ignore him, Alex," John muttered. "He's just some pain in the ass."

"So Alex is your name, huh?" Lee prompted. Alex shifted uncomfortably, unsure if he should respond. "You know, you shouldn't associate with people like _him_." He nudged John, a bit too hard. "Who knows, he might pass on the loser flu to you."

"I think I know very well who's the real loser here," Alex replied, his voice set in stone.

Lee laughed. "Aw, looks like kitty's got claws. I was worried you'd be too dumb to respond."

Alex's eyes were on fire. "Why you-"

"Leave him alone, Lee," John interrupted. "Alex, that's enough. Let's go sit somewhere else."

"Yeah, Laurens, play the saint, why don't you?" Lee encouraged mockingly. "Who knows, maybe you'll get a head pat from the General if you do." Lee continued, loud enough for John to hear. "You think Washington is _such_ a good man, huh. That's because he adores you. But the sad truth is: that man can't be left alone to his devices. The best thing he can do for this school is turn and go back to planting tobacco in Mount Vernon."

That was, for John, the last straw. No one insulted Washington. No one. He quickly stood up and grabbed Lee by the collar. "Say that again about Washington," he growled angrily. "I dare you."

Lee's eyes widened. "Y-you wouldn't punch me," he said, his lip trembling.

John wanted to laugh. This guy was nothing but a sniveling coward. "Oh, but I would. Those are some strong words, Lee. Someone ought to hold you to it."

"John, it's not worth it," Herc was quick to tell him. He tried to pry John's hands from Lee. "Let him go before you do something stupid."

"He's right, mon ami," Lafayette added. He shot a glare at Lee. "As much as I don't like this piece of merde, I don't want you to get in trouble either."

John looked at his friends, then sighed. He released his hold on Lee, and the latter stumbled backwards and retreated from them. "You'll regret that, Laurens," he sneered. "Just wait. I'll get back at you somehow."

"I'd like to see you try," John taunted back. Lee and his friends disappeared into the lunch crowd. Eventually, John got tired of glaring after them and sat back down, placing his head between his hands and massaging his temple. "Thanks, guys. I think I would've lost it if you hadn't held me back."

"Ya think?" Herc cried, exasperated.

"Ma petite tortue, you need to control yourself," Laf reprimanded. "You can't let Lee get to you."

"I know, I know," John said. "I just… I can't stand it when he makes fun of the people I care about. Washington, you guys…" He turned to gesture at each of his three friends, then realized there was only two. "Wait, where's Alex?"

Herc furrowed his brow. "Huh, he was here a moment ago."

"Alex?" John called, getting nervous. "Alex?" _Where is that boy?_

Suddenly, Alex popped up. "Hey, guys."

"Alex, where were you, man?" Herc asked.

Alex looked off into the distance. "I was… just taking care of some things."

"You went after Lee, didn't you?" Herc guessed.

John's head snapped to Alex. The smaller boy looked down at his shoes sheepishly. "Maaaaybe."

"Alex, why would you do that?" John cried, alarmed.

"It's not like I beat him up or anything! Just gave him a small tongue lashing, that's all."

"You didn't have to do that, you know," John said softly.

Alex shrugged. "No, but I wanted to." He sat down next to John. "No one gets away with hurting my friends. Especially not bullies who pee their own pants the moment someone touches them."

Laf regarded Alex thoughtfully. Then: "Mon petit lion."

Alex looked over. "What?"

Laf smiled. "A feisty spirit, just like a little lion." He pointed at Alex dramatically. "Your new nickname is mon petit lion."

Alex looked at John and Herc for an explanation. "He has this thing where he gives someone he's really close to an animal nickname that fits them," Herc explained. "Like for example, I'm _mon grand cheval_ , which means 'big horse.'"

"And I'm ma petite tortue," John said. "Little turtle."

Alex snickered. "I can see why he calls you that."

"And _you're_ mon petit lion," Laf announced. "Little lion."

Alex grinned. "Maybe we should think up a nickname for you, Laf."

Laf gave him a warning look. "Don't you dare." He stuck his nose in the air. "I am much too fabulous to be degraded to an animal."

Herc snorted. "Says the one who's doing the degrading."

The newly dubbed little lion ate the rest of his lunch, enjoying it more than he realized.

* * *

"Sorry about what happened with Lee today," John said on the car ride home, after Alex had finished talking to Angelica.

Alex looked at him with surprise. "What are you sorry about?"

John waved a hand in the air. "Y'know, for the way he acted and all. And in case I scared you. I don't normally grab people by their throats."

"Well, I was a little surprised. You didn't strike me as the violent type. You're always so nice and composed."

"Yeah…" John looked down at his hands, crestfallen. Alex wanted badly to cheer him up.

"But it's ok," Alex assured him. "Everyone has an ugly side. It would be pretty weird if you didn't. Not everyone's perfect."

John smiled, but he still looked pretty sad. "I guess you're right." He sighed, and looked out the window.

Alex thought back to the events of earlier that day. He had never seen John so angry before. He was so used to the smiling boy that the hatred and fire in his eyes seemed alien. This, Alex realized, was a new side of John he had never seen before.

 _I guess there's a lot I still don't know about you, John Laurens. What else are you hiding behind that smile?_

* * *

A/N: Ugh, I wanted to include the Schuyler sister double date but then this chapter would be way too long. So the next chapter will be the date. See you then!


	10. Chapter 10: Schuyler Sister War (Part 1)

A/N: So because this was brought to my attention, this AU is sort of a modern "slavery" AU where servants and masters are legal. I just wanted Alex to be John's servant but then there's the Sally and Thomas situation so now keeping servants and arranged marriages are a thing in this AU now. I also added this same author's note to Chapter 1 to avoid confusion in the future:)

Alright, time to sit back and enjoy the drama. *sips tea*

* * *

The day of the double date had arrived. Thanks to encouragement from Angelica, Eliza gathered up the courage to talk to Alex whenever she could for the past few days. Angelica saw the two of them growing closer and closer. She was ashamed at how much her heart ached every time she saw them together, and grew more determined to make sure this date went well. The faster Angelica got them together, the sooner she could get over Alex.

"How does this look?" Eliza asked, twirling around in a light blue dress. "Is this too much?" she worried, holding out the bracelet that adorned her wrist. It was something Eliza made in elementary school, with beads of different shades of blue strung along one plastic string. "I wanted to wear this for the date because it's so special. But he might think it's silly…"

"It is _not_ silly," Angelica responded hotly. "If you want to wear it, then wear it. Besides, it's adorable and it suits you."

Eliza blushed. "You really think so?"

Angelica nodded. "Mhmm. And if he makes fun of it, I'll beat him up."

Eliza smiled nervously. She glanced down at her dress. "What do you think of this outfit? Is it good? Or is it too revealing?"

Angelica snorted. "Too revealing my ass. Your dress has _sleeves_."

"Yeah, but they're short sleeves."

"Still sleeves." Angelica shuffled around her closet. "You look great, Liza. If I were Alex, I would fall for you the moment you step into the room."

Eliza laughed. "Stop flattering me, Angie."

Angelica rolled her eyes. "You're breaking a sweat over your clothes, and I haven't even picked my outfit out yet."

Eliza's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She hurried over to Angelica. "Here, I'll help you pick out a dress." She held out a clotheshanger with a red dress with thin straps hanging on it. "I think you would look great in this one."

Angelica regarded the dress nervously. If she wore that, she would be exposing more skin than Eliza. Knowing how men were these days, that would mean Angelica would get more attention from Alex, which was _not_ what she was going for. "Um, I'll pass. Any other options you have?"

Eliza bit her lip. "Um, let's see. I think this top would look cute on you." She held up one of those off-the-shoulder tops Angelica always saw other girls wearing on the weekends. "Maybe combine that with the black shorts? Or are the skinny jeans better?"

"Eliza, I think you're forgetting that we're in _November_ now. I would get hypothermia if I wore shorts."

"Whoops, sorry! Wait, then maybe I shouldn't wear this dress."

"You can wear a sweater over your dress. I think I'll go with one too, and these leggings."

Eliza frowned. "You sure you don't want to wear a dress? I think John might like you in one."

 _And so would Alex if I'm not careful._ "Nah, it's fine. Leggings are so much more comfortable anyway."

"Ok…" Eliza perked up. "Ooh, you could wear those dangly bird earrings you bought the other day! I think those would look really good on you!" She grinned. "Remember when you said you couldn't wait to wear them on your next date? Well, now's your chance!"

Angelica hesitated. She did say that, but she wanted to stay as plain as possible, and make Eliza look more radiant, more beautiful, more enticing, more girlfriend material than her.

"I'll… pass."

Eliza's delighted smile turned upside-down. "Angie, are you alright?"

Angelica did her best to look the opposite of how she felt. "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine!"

Eliza wasn't convinced. "There are dark circles under your eyes."

"Oh, guess I'll have to redo my makeup." Angelica laughed. Eliza didn't.

"Angie, how much sleep did you get last night?"

"Um, maybe four hours."

Eliza narrowed her eyes. "Why did you stay up so late? You know that's bad for your health."

"We're in high school, Eliza. It's normal for us to pull all-nighters."

"Angelica, today is Saturday. I know you usually do your homework on Saturday, not Friday nights."

Angelica sighed. No use hiding it from her. "Ok, you got me. I was planning our date."

"Angelica!"

"Listen, Eliza. I know you're terrible at planning, so I decided to help you out a little." Angelica yawned. "I got it all planned out. First, we're gonna get some lunch to eat at the Creamline in the Plaza. Then we're gonna go to that book store to look for books. I have a feeling Alex is gonna be interested in that. You'll have a chance to strike up a conversation with him and get closer to him. _Then_ , at 2:30, we're going to that AMC Movie Theater across the street from the Plaza. I booked our seats last night. You and Alex can cuddle in the dark while the movie is playing. And then we go home and you can kiss Alex goodbye." Angelica grinned. "Sound good?"

Eliza gaped at her. "Angie, I can't believe—I just—you've done it now."

"What's wrong? I thought you would be grateful."

"I am, but this is too much. I just—" Eliza suddenly squeezed Angelica into a hug. "Thank you. Thanks so much. You didn't have to do this, but you still did."

Angelia hugged Eliza back. "Of course I did. After all, that's what sisters are for."

Eliza smiled. "I'm gonna go touch up on my makeup. If you need anything, just come right in." She stood up and made her way to the door. "Meet you downstairs later?"

Angelica nodded. "Sure. See ya later, sister gator." She made a small salute. Eliza giggled, and left the room.

Angelica turned to the bird earrings. She stared at them for a little while longer before reaching for them. _I guess I can glamour up a_ little _bit._ She put on the earrings, then looked at herself in the mirror. She looked good, but not too good. _This date is going to succeed. I know it will._ With that last thought, Angelica Schuyler set to work with putting on her outfit.

* * *

 _How the hell are you supposed to do this problem?_ John thought in frustration, squinting down at the wrinkled worksheet on his desk. _Damn it, what was that formula I learned the other day? Why does math have to have so many goddamn formulas? Why did we even invent formulas in the first place?_ He took a deep breath. _Think, John, think._

Just then, John heard the sound of knocking coming from his door. "Come in!" he called.

Alex walked in, wearing what appeared to John to be a thin gray hoodie. "Hey, John," he greeted him brightly. Alex was smiling at John a lot more now, which made John feel accomplished, considering their past meetings hadn't gone so well.

"Wassup, Alex?"

"I'm going out now."

"Well, that's great—" John did a double take. "Wait, you're _going out_? With who?"

Alex looked confused for a moment, but then his cheeks turned pink as realization dawned on him. "Oh, no! Not like that! I meant, I'm hanging out with the Schuyler sisters today. Hence why I said I'm going out. As in, I'm going out to meet them. Not in a romantic way, no, but in a 'friends hanging out' sort of way. Actually, I'm just seeing Angelica and Eliza. Peggy's not coming for some reason, but oh! I'm also gonna meet Angelica's boyfriend, so I'll be seeing two of the Schuyler sisters and one boy—"

"Alex, I get it," John interrupted him, before Alex could go off an another rant. He furrowed his brow. "Why are you telling me, though? It's not like you need my permission or anything."

Alex scuffed his feet awkwardly. "I mean, we're friends now, and I figured friends tell each other everything. I also don't want you worrying about me in case you don't see me today."

John grinned. "Aw, that's sweet. Well, that makes sense."

They stood there, staring at each other, until Alex cleared his throat. "Um, I guess I'll be going now," he said, and turned to leave. Before he could walk out the door, though, John grabbed his shoulders.

"Woah, woah, woah. You're not going out in _that_ , are you?" John gestured to Alex's hoodie. "Because no offense, but that doesn't look very warm."

Alex looked sheepishly down at his clothes. "It was the only thing I had that didn't have some stain on it. Everything else is in the laundry."

John shook his head. "That's not gonna do. The weather is cold today. You'll freeze." He marched up to his closet and threw open the doors. After digging around, John tossed a light blue jacket to Alex. "Try this on."

"John, I don't need—"

" _Yes, you do_ ," John interrupted Alex before he could finish his sentence. "This is definitely warmer than that hoodie you have on, and I don't really like this color. So you can have it. And if you give that back, I _will_ find a way to sneak it into your backpack."

Alex looked down at the jacket, wavering between keeping it and throwing it back at John. Finally, he took his hoodie off and donned the jacket. "How does it look?" he inquired nervously. When John didn't answer, he looked up at his friend. "John?"

John was too busy staring at Alex to say anything. He couldn't quite come up with a word to describe how Alex looked. The light blue color of the jacket gave Alex a playful, almost childish aura, but at the same time Alex's neatly tied back brown hair and stubble made him look older and more mature, not to mention the gray shirt he had on underneath. John thought the jacket should've clashed with the rest of Alex's outfit, but it did the opposite. It made Alex look—

"Cute," John said without thinking.

A furious blush crossed Alex's face. "W-what?" he stammered.

John grinned. "You look like a child, but also an adult at the same time."

Alex furrowed his brow. "Don't you mean a teenager?"

"Oh yeah, that's the word. Don't know why I had a hard time thinking of the right word to describe you." He chuckled, his eyes doing a quick scan over Alex. "Yeah, you're good to go. Have fun!"

Alex blinked. "Oh, yeah. I forgot." He smiled sheepishly at John. "I'll see you later!" He turned and stopped, before adding, quietly, "Alligator."

John winked. "In a while, crocodile." Alex tripped on his way to the door.

* * *

The Plaza was a large white rectangular building with the words "Plaza" stamped out in golden letters on the top. Alex looked around the courtyard, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Schuyler sisters, and spotted them just outside the doors. Angelica and Eliza were excitedly conversing with each other while a third person, a boy with dark hair, stood by awkwardly.

Alex walked a little closer to the sisters, but they still didn't notice him. This gave him an idea, and he slowly crept up on Angelica, then grabbed both her shoulders from behind and yelled, "Boo!"

Angelica shrieked in surprise, and quickly jabbed her elbow into Alex's stomach. "Alex!" she gasped when she saw him keeling over. "I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"

"No, no I'm fine," Alex wheezed, still holding on to his stomach. "Those are some quick reflexes," he remarked.

Even though she was still feeling guilty, Angelica grinned proudly. "Yeah, you never know when you'll need them for self defense. This world has too many perverts."

"Still, did you have to hit so hard?"

"Well in my defense, you did scare the living shit out of me."

"Alright, alright, fair enough." Alex caught sight of Eliza. "Hey, Eliza!"

Eliza perked up at her name. "H-hi, Alex!" she greeted him, trying to hide how her voice was trembling with nervousness.

 _Why is she nervous?_ Alex thought. _What's that about?_

The dark-haired boy stepped forward, and extended his hand. "Hello, my name is John Church," he introduced himself. "I'm Angelica's boyfriend."

 _So_ this _is Angelica's boyfriend._ "Hi, nice to meet you. Alexander Hamilton, but Alex is fine." Alex shook Church's hand. _He sounds kinda bland. Not what I was expecting in someone who's dating Angelica._

"Alright," Angelica said, as if she was starting a business meeting. "Now that we're all here, let's go inside." She brushed past Alex and held one of the double doors open. "Come on, everyone! Chop! Chop! We haven't got a minute to lose!"

Alex laughed. "There's no need to rush, Angie." Angelica did her best to suppress her smile at the nickname. "We're just hanging out."

"Haha, yeah," Angelica said, exchanging a nervous look with Eliza. "Anyway, let's just… go inside."

Alex frowned. Angelica was usually not this stiff around him. Had he done something wrong? Nevertheless, he entered through the glass doors, and his eyes widened.

Angelica wasn't kidding when she said Alex could find anything in the Plaza. The mall looked like one super wide, super long hallway with busy shops on both sides of it. Alex looked up, and even though he didn't have a phobia of heights, he still felt a little dizzy staring up at all the multiple floors and escalators carrying people between them.

"Damn," he marveled at the mall's great size.

"Pretty big, right?" Eliza said, coming up to him.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, I have no words." He grinned at her. "For once, I'm actually speechless."

Her cheeks pinkened at his smile, and she immediately looked down. "Y-yeah, it had me speechless when I first came here too," she said quietly, fiddling with a strand of her hair.

Alex tilted his head. "You know, I didn't realize this, but… your dress looks really pretty on you. Not to sound like a creep or anything," he added hastily. "I mean, I figured blue would be your color because of your umbrella, but well, I'm going off on a tangent now." He laughed nervously, and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

If Eliza wasn't red before, she was now. Tomato red. "T-thank you," she squeaked, pretending to be interested in the shiny floor.

"You're welcome," Alex responded. _I must've made her uncomfortable._

Meanwhile, Eliza's brain was squealing. _HE COMPLIMENTED ME!_

Angelica watched the two of them, smiling wistfully to herself. They really did look good together. Even their blue outfits matched.

 _Grrr._ Everyone turned to look at Alex. "Ah man, my stomach just growled," he said, his cheeks pinkening.

Angelica laughed. "Luckily for you, there's all sorts of restaurants here." She started walking farther into the Plaza.

"So… which restaurant are we going to?" Alex inquired.

Angelica turned back to grin at him. "Creamline. One of my favorite fast food places."(Creamline is actually a real restaurant in a mall. Love their burgers)

"And… who's paying? I mean, I brought my own money so I can pay for my own order…"

"I'll pay for yours, Angelica," Church piped up. That was the second time Alex heard him speak. The guy was really quiet, always following Angelica around.

"Aw, that's sweet, John," Angelica cooed. "But I can pay for my own food."

"Oh. Okay." Church resumed walking like a robot next to Angelica.

"So… how did you two meet?" Alex asked Angelica and Church, to make the walk to the restaurant less awkward.

"We met at a dinner party," Angelica answered, while Church nodded. "He and I started talking, and I decided to date him." She smiled in amusement. "Father didn't approve of him at first, but after finding out John had a lot of money, he started to warm up to him. Sort of."

 _Wow. Nice love story. I can hear the passion radiating in the air._ Alex stopped himself from saying the sarcastic remark, and instead went with, "Oh. Nice."

Creamline was one of those restaurants that was big enough to have its own tables but small enough for you to see the counter from outside.

"So, what would you recommend?" Alex asked while they were waiting in line.

Angelica was about to respond with "A cheeseburger" when she remembered the reason they were here in the first place. She clamped her mouth shut and gestured to Eliza.

Eliza lit up and responded, "I like to get a cheeseburger and some fries."

"Cheeseburger and fries. How about you, Angelica?"

"Um, I like to get a cheeseburger and fries, too."

Alex nodded. "Alright, cheeseburger and fries for me, then."

"Um, the fries come in a pretty big amount," Eliza said. "Maybe I can pay for the fries and you and I can share them."

Alex smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but how about _I_ pay for the fries and _I_ can share with _you_?"

Eliza pouted. "No, _I'll_ pay for them!"

"No, _I_ will!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Can you two please stop flirting and tell me your order please?" the cashier at the counter asked irritably. "There is an entire line behind you." Alex didn't realize they were at the front of the line. Seeing the annoyed faces of the people behind him, his ears turned red, and he saw that Eliza was blushing furiously as well.

"For fuck's sake," Angelica muttered, though seeing Alex and Eliza exchanging playful banter gave her a ray of hope for the two of them. " _I'll_ pay for the fries. A cheeseburger and two orders of fries, please," she told the cashier, who nodded and took Angelica's money. The cashier then handed Angelica a stand with a card at the top. A big white 10 was printed on the card. "We'll call your number when your order is ready. Next!" Church ordered a hamburger, and Eliza and Alex each asked for a cheeseburger. (I forgot what else you can get at Creamline it's been so long since I went there sry)

The cheeseburger was pretty good. The cheese melted in Alex's mouth, and the lettuce was crunchy. He also liked the fries, which he ended up sharing with Eliza.

"So Angie, remember that baker vs. gay couple case we talked about?" Alex mentioned during lunch.

"Yeah?" Angelica answered, peeking at him over her cheeseburger.

"Well…" Alex smirked. "Turns out the baker won. Better luck next time, Angie."

She rolled her eyes. "I still think the gay couple should've won."

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" Eliza asked, confused.

Alex turned to her. "There was this court case your sister and I argued about in Squabble Squad."(that baker vs. gay couple case was actually a real thing)

Eliza tilted her head. "Really? What was it about?" Alex proceeded to explain the events that led up to the case, the main points both sides presented for their arguments, and why the baker won the case in the end. It all made sense to Angelica, but poor Eliza struggled to keep up with Alex's fast-paced talking.

"And that's why the baker ultimately won the case," Alex concluded.

"Um, okaay," Eliza said slowly. "Oh! By the way, Alex, you have some ketchup on the corner of your mouth," she told him.

"Which side?"

Eliza was about to answer "Your left" when Angelica butted in with, "Your right."

Eliza gave Angelica a confused "why?" look while Alex dabbed his napkin at a nonexistent stain on the right side of his mouth. Meanwhile, the actual ketchup stain on the left side of his mouth remained where it was.

"Did I get it off yet?" Alex asked.

Angelica faked an incredulous look. "Ugh, you can't even wipe ketchup off your face properly. Eliza, go help him."

It was then that Eliza realized what Angelica was doing. Her eyes widened, and Angelica winked at her. Cheeks flushing pink once again, she picked up her napkin and wiped the ketchup off Alex's face. He was so taken aback by the gesture that he forgot about Angelica's little fib and stared open mouthed at Eliza.

"Um, sorry if that made you uncomfortable," Eliza said with a delicate laugh. She shot a dirty look at Angelica, who responded with a nonchalant shrug. Church casually watched the whole scene like it was just another boring filler in a drama.

"N-no, it's okay," Alex managed to get out. "Um, thanks." They ate the rest of their lunch in silence.

After Creamline, the group headed to a bookstore, which caught Alex's attention and made him forget about the whole incident at Creamline. The bookstore, which was called Dusty Wusty's(Ima just throw in a weird name for a bookstore here cuz I can lol) was pretty small. An old woman sat at the counter, distracted by a newspaper she held in her hands.

Alex scoured the shelves and spotted the words "Harry Potter" printed on the spines of an entire row of books. He cautiously took out _The Philosopher's Stone_ and examined its cover. _Maybe I should reread it again_ , he thought.

"Don't tell me you've never read Harry Potter." Alex jumped when Angelica popped up from behind him. He almost knocked down the bookshelf in the process.

"Jesus, you scared me!" he cried, glaring at Angelica.

She laughed. "That's payback for that little stunt you pulled before."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, I guess we're even now." He looked down at the book in his hands, then back at Angelica. "And for your information, yes, I have read this, like seven times."

Her eyebrows shot up, disappearing into her dark curls. " _Only_ seven? I read the entire series, _plus_ the new one, twenty-eight times! Get on my level!"

Alex chuckled. "I get it, you're a Potterhead. No need to flex on me."

She beamed back at him. "So, which one's your favorite?"

"Which what?"

She gave him a teasing incredulous look. "Your favorite Harry Potter book, you idiot."

"Ohh. Well, I'd say, _The Goblet of Fire_. There's always something about puzzle solving that gets me really excited."

Angelica couldn't help the smile stretching across her face. "Really? That one's my favorite, too! I just love the riddles, and how Harry has to solve them in order to pass each of the Triwizard Tournament tasks and I just think it's so clever that—what?" She stopped when she saw that Alex was smiling fondly at her. "Is there something on my face?"

Alex shook his head, though he kept smiling. "Nothing. It's just… you've been so stiff all day. It's good to see you loosen up a bit." Angelica felt her insides warm up. "You can also tell me if I'm making you uncomfortable. I noticed you haven't been talking to me much," he added quietly, looking down at his shoes.

Angelica snorted, though she was touched by his sentiments. "Oh _please_. Since when am I uncomfortable around you?" He looked up at her in surprise. "I'm just…going through some issues. That's all. Trust me, they've got nothing to do with you."

"Really?" he asked, his brown eyes big and wide.

 _So cute_ , she thought. "Really."

"Oh, ok," he said, his face lighting up again. "For a moment, I thought I did something wrong."

 _You did, you idiot. You made me fall in love with you._ Angelica saw Eliza standing next to a bookshelf nearby. Her sister, who was still embarrassed by what happened at Creamline, refused to approach or even look at Alex. _But I can't be with you. Cuz you're hers now._

* * *

A/N: I had this crazy Laurgelica dream where Laurens fell in love with Angelica instead of Hamilton, but then gave her up because she loved Hamilton, and then the whole "Satisfied" thing happened, and _then_ it turned to this Sleeping Beauty plot where Angelica is the sleeping princess and Laurens is the prince who ends up fighting _plant monsters_. Just some random tidbit I wanted to share lol.


	11. Chapter 11: Schuyler Sister War (Part 2)

A/N: Alright, quick PSA before we begin this chapter. I finally made the spin-off I mentioned in one of my author's notes earlier a reality! It's called "Dear Alexander" and it doesn't really have any Lams, mostly mother fluff. It's also a song fic. Check it out if you want, no pressure!

* * *

"Marty!" John poked his head into his little sister's room. "Can you turn that down? I'm trying to study!"

His sister didn't seem to hear him though, because she kept bobbing her head to the Miraculous Ladybug theme song blasting out of her computer.

"Marty!" She ignored him. "Marty!" Still no response. "Oh my god, that's it," John muttered. He marched over and used the mouse to pause the YouTube video.

Marty continued bobbing her head for a few seconds until she realized the music had stopped. She took out her earbuds and glared at him. "Whatchu do that for?" she asked, annoyed.

John folded his arms. "Your music was bothering me."

"I had my earbuds on."

John looked at the computer, then at Marty. "Bish, your earbuds aren't even plugged in."

Marty's eyes trailed to her disconnected earbuds, and her cheeks flushed red enough to hide her freckles. "Oops." She quickly plugged her earbuds into the computer. "There, happy? Now get out of my room."

John grinned. "Thanks." He paused, and ruffled his sister's curly hair on impulse.

"Hey!" Marty cried indignantly, shooing his hands away.

John laughed. "Sorry, couldn't help it. It's so fluffy."

She glared at him, though John could tell she was trying to hold back a laugh. "Touch your own hair, then."

Chuckling, John left her room. He was about to open the door to his own room when he heard two small voices bickering with each other down the hall.

"Give it back!"

"No!"

"It's mine!"

"No, it's mine!"

A little boy came running around the corner, clutching a large green ball in his small hands. John recognized his little brother Jemmy by his fluffy blonde hair. Jemmy saw John, and immediately made a beeline for him. The five-year-old ran and cowered behind his older brother's leg.

"Jemmy," John cried in surprise. "What—"

"Give it back!" Soon, another boy, this one slightly taller than Jemmy, appeared before John. Henry Jr., or as his siblings called him, Harry(I just searched up nicknames for people named Henry and this came up), had straight, brown hair, just like his namesake, and was the only one of John's siblings who didn't have freckles. He pouted at Jemmy. "Give me back my ball!" he cried.

Jemmy aggressively shook his head, and clung even tighter to John's leg. "What's going on here?" John asked, looking back and forth between his two brothers. "Why are you chasing him?"

"Jack, Jemmy stole my ball," Harry complained. "Tell him to give it back!"

"No, it's my ball!" Jemmy argued, wrapping his arms protectively around the green ball.

Harry turned to John. "I was playing with it," he said. "Then Jemmy came and just took it without asking! Make him give it back, Jack!"

Jemmy whimpered, and practically buried his entire face into John's thigh. "It's my ball," he said. "Mommy gave it to me, so it's my ball!"

"Mommy gave the ball to you so you could play with it _temporary_ ," Harry corrected, not noticing his misuse of the last word. "But it's my turn to play with it now, so give it back!"

Jemmy squeezed his ball so hard, John saw his tiny knuckles turn white. The small boy desperately looked up at John, his brown eyes pleading. "Please don't take my ball, Jack," he begged. "I like this ball."

"It's not fair!" Harry complained, stomping his foot. "Mommy always takes your side because you're younger and cuter." He turned to John. "Jack, you believe me, right? That's not his ball."

John looked back and forth between the 5-year-old clinging to his leg, and the 7-year-old impatiently waiting for his response. _Oh boy, this is gonna be tough._ "Well…"

"You're taking Jemmy's side, aren't you?" Harry accused. "I thought you were on my side, Jack! But _oh_ , Jemmy is _so_ cute and obviously _he_ gets to have _everything_!"

"No!" John said quickly. "That's not—"

"Then you'll make Jemmy give me back my ball?" Harry said hopefully.

Upon hearing this, Jemmy's eyes widened in horror. "No!" he said, backing away from John. "No!" His eyes started watering. John knew he had to do something, and fast.

"Jemmy, please don't cry," he softly comforted his brother. "Listen, how about we compromise?"

Jemmy sniffled, blinking tears out of his eyes. "What's comprize?" he repeated.

John thought carefully about how to word what he was going to say next. "It's when you trade something. You give something, and you get something better in return!"

Jemmy looked doubtfully at John. "But I don't want to give my ball." In the corner of his eye, John could see Harry tilting his head curiously.

"But you'll get something better instead!" John reassured his little brother.

"But what am I going to get?" Jemmy asked.

 _Actually, what_ am _I going to get him?_ "How about…" John's eyes lit up with an idea. "My turtle! You can have my stuffed turtle to play with!"

Jemmy's hands loosened slightly on the ball. "Turtle?" Jemmy loved stuffed animals, almost as much as he loved balls.

John nodded. "Mmhm. And you can keep my turtle. But in order for you to have it, you need to give the ball back to Harry. Ok?"

Jemmy looked down at his ball, then at Harry, then at John. Finally, he nodded. "Okay!" He walked over to Harry and handed the ball to him. Harry happily scampered away with the ball, shouting a "Thanks, Jack!" before he disappeared.

John smiled. "Now for your prize," he declared, and entered his room. He plucked the stuffed turtle from its shelf and gave it to Jemmy.

The little boy squeezed the turtle and gave John a toothy smile, dimples appearing on his cheeks. "Thank you, Jack!"

"You're welcome, little bud," John said, grinning back. He paused, before adding, "Don't steal anything next time, ok? Harry's right. You shouldn't take things that aren't yours."

Jemmy pouted. "But the ball is my ball!"

John sighed. "Just… don't steal anything in the future. Okay?"

Jemmy rubbed his fingers over the stuffed turtle's patterned shell. "Okay," he said, and ran out of John's room.

John waited until his little brother was gone, before he leaned on his desk, and rubbed his temples. "Siblings," he sighed.

* * *

 _Siblings_ , Angelica thought. _Why do they have to make things so complicated?_ Eliza still wouldn't talk to Alex, and nothing Angelica tried was working. She attempted to loop Eliza into a conversation with Alex, but Eliza wouldn't so much as glance at him. Angelica even tried the cliché "push her into him and hope he catches her" trick, but Eliza, who was not as delicate she looked, held her ground and gave her sister an indignant look. It was… getting really frustrating.

 _Just talk to him_ , Angelica thought desperately to her sister as they continued exploring the mall. _Don't make this any harder than it already is._ Seeing that Eliza was not interested in discussing Harry Potter with Alex, staying at the bookstore was pointless, and so the group decided to just kill time in the mall.

"Is Eliza okay?" Alex asked Angelica after they exited a Japanese stationary store. "Maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like she's ignoring me."

Angelica was about to answer "No, Eliza's fine" to spare her sister the embarrassment, when she thought better of it. "Actually, I don't know what's going on with Eliza. I tried talking to her, but she won't answer. Maybe"-she looked directly at Alexander-" _you_ should try talking to her. Maybe she'll open up to you."

Alex looked taken aback, then shook his head. "I dunno. You two look pretty close. If she won't open up to you, I highly doubt she'll open up to me."

Angelica shrugged. "Well, you never know. There are just some things people don't share with their siblings that they'll share with strangers. Not that I'm saying you're a stranger, of course," she added quickly. "I-if you know what I mean."

Alex chuckled. "No, I know what you mean." He leaned towards Angelica, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I never told anyone this, but when I was six, I tried to fly my brother's wooden plane model." He shook his head, mirth glinting in his eyes. "It broke. I was so scared that my brother was going to kill me, I buried the plane in our yard and to this day, my brother still doesn't know what happened to it." Was that sadness Angelica detected in his voice? "Those were the good times. So"-he cleared his throat-"yes, I do know what you mean."

A smile graced Angelica's lips. "So, can you try talking to Eliza then?"

Alex looked over at Eliza, then back at Angelica. "Alright, I guess I'll give it a try. Don't expect me to, like, discover the cure for cancer in our conversation, though."

She laughed. "I wouldn't expect anything more from you."

She gave Alex a small shove in Eliza's direction, and the boy went over to talk to her sister. Eliza looked a little surprised that Alex had approached her. However, Angelica saw the tension ease out of her sister as she and Alex started to converse with each other. As she passed them by, she caught snippets of their conversation, though they were too deep in discussion for her to tell exactly what they were talking about.

"I think it's pretty," Angelica heard Alex say, and she saw he was looking at Eliza's bracelet. "You shouldn't be ashamed to wear something that you're proud of."

Eliza blushed, some of her black hair falling into her eyes. "T-thanks."

Something caught Alex's eye, and he turned to look into one of the store windows. Angelica and Eliza followed his gaze, and found themselves standing in front of a particularly bizarre-looking shop. Angelica recognized this shop. She wasn't exactly sure what it sold, but she occasionally got glimpses of unusual silverware and small figurines in there.

"Something you wanna get, Alex?" Eliza asked.

The boy blinked and looked at her. "Well, I don't know…"

"Don't buy anything if you don't even know what the shop is selling," Angelica advised him. "This shop looks pretty shady, anyway. Let's go-Alex?"

Alexander had his hand on the doorknob. "Um, in a sec," he said absentmindedly. It was as if Alex's feet had a mind of their own. He found himself walking into the shop, against his better judgement.

A young girl sat at the counter. She looked up and grinned upon seeing Alex. "Hello, how can I help you?" she asked him cheerfully.

"Um, how much is that figurine in the window?" Alex asked nervously, pointing at the object that had caught his attention earlier. Angelica, Eliza, and even Church, who Alex forgot existed, had quietly followed him into the shop, and stood a wary distance away from the counter.

The girl looked at where Alex was pointing, and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Um, I'm not sure. Lemme ask." She hopped off her stool and opened a door to a hidden backroom. "Mom! How much is the figurine in our window?"

"It's $25!" a woman's voice called from the backroom.

The girl looked back at Alex. "$25," she answered.

"Oh, um." Alex shuffled his feet. "On second thought, nevermind. Sorry for wasting your time." He turned to leave.

"But… I'm willing to give you a 50% discount," the girl continued. She gave Alex a sly wink. "I know a broke high school student when I see one. So how 'bout it? $12.50. Actually, I'll round it down to just $12."

"But isn't that unfair?" Alex stammered, caught off-guard and now suspicious of the sudden reduction in the price.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, we still get some profit. Besides, everything here is overpriced anyway. So, do we have a deal?" She looked at Alex expectantly.

"I—alright." Before he could think it over, he had already handed the girl the money. She grinned, and grabbed a small plastic shopping bag from the counter. She plucked an identical figurine from behind the counter and dropped it into the bag, then handed it off to Alex with a flourish. "Here you go. Nice doing business with ya!"

Alex stared at his new prize as he exited the shop. _Why did I waste money on this? I thought he might like it, but now I'm not so sure._

Angelica peeked into Alex's bag. "I didn't know you liked turtles," she said.

The tips of Alex's ears turned red. "Um, I don't. It's… for a friend."

Angelica's eyes widened slightly. "Oh."

"I noticed he was feeling down the other day, so I want to cheer him up," Alex explained quickly.

"I see."

Eliza smiled. "That's really sweet of you. I'm sure he'll like it." _I kinda wish he bought something for me, though_ , she thought with a slight twinge of jealousy, then sighed inwardly. _Oh well._

Alex shook his head. "I dunno. It looks kinda stupid now."

"I think it looks really cute," Eliza countered. "Besides, it's the thought that counts."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He snickered. "Honestly, that sounds like something he would say." Church nodded in agreement, still looking out of place in the group.

They continued walking about, until it was time for the movies.

The AMC Theater was just as big as the Plaza, only it was more on the tall side than the wide side. Unlike the crowded white Plaza, the black building only had a few people waiting in line for their tickets.

"What movie are we watching?" Alex asked while they were waiting in line.

"Everything, Everything," Angelica answered. "It's a romance about this girl who can't go outside her home because of a disease she has, and how she longs to go outside and see the world. She then falls in love with a boy living next door to her, and she gets even more determined to escape her house."

"Sounds interesting," Alex said.

"A romance?" Eliza whispered to Angelica, exasperated. "Seriously?"

"I wanted to get Alex in the mood," Angelica explained. "So, yes, we are watching a romance."

Eliza shot a quick look at Alex, then back at her sister. "I don't even think Alex is into that type of stuff."

"Hey, you never know."

While the Schuyler sisters continued their hushed discussion, Alex snuck a peek at Church. _I swear, this guy is just gonna turn to stone if I don't at least_ try _to make conversation with him._ "Um, John, was it?"

Church blinked, surprised he was being addressed. "Yes, it is," he responded. He made an awkward gesture. "Alex, right?"

Alex grinned. "Yeah, that's my name." He shuffled his feet a little. "So, John, tell me a little bit about yourself. Like, what do you do in your free time?"

Church thought for a moment, before he answered, "Playing golf."

"Oh, nice! Are you good at it?"

It didn't take long for them to reach the front of the line. They got their tickets, and were about to make their way to the theater, when Church quietly asked, "Do you guys want popcorn?" He nodded at a theater worker who was standing in front of a popcorn machine.

Angelica grinned. "How could I have forgotten the popcorn? Good idea, babe!" Church blushed, and looked down at his feet.

They ordered two large bowls of popcorn(with butter flavoring, because what is popcorn without butter), one for Angelica and Church, and the other for Eliza and Alex. Angelica winked when she handed them the bowl. "For you two to share," she said, smirking. Eliza felt the back of her neck heat up. Before she could retort, Angelica brushed past her into the theater.

As they sat down in the cushioned seats, it occurred to Alex that this was his first time in a movie theater. He took a moment to survey his surroundings. The theater was dark, save for the large, bright screen that was currently playing a Coca Cola ad at the front. He was surprised to find that there was barely anyone else in the theater. A few rows in front, three girls were sharing a giant bowl of popcorn. In the far back corner, there was a couple holding hands. Alex looked to his sides. Church and Angelica were seated next to each other, and Alex was seated between Angelica and Eliza.

Alex popped some popcorn in his mouth, right as the movie started playing. As it progressed, though, he found his eyelids drooping lower and lower. He tried to pay attention to the conversation between the characters on screen, but fatigue and boredom soon overtook him, and he fell asleep.

Angelica was also feeling her tiredness catch up to her. _I really should have gotten more than four hours of sleep. Maybe four and a half would've been better_ , was her last thought before she, too, drifted off to sleep.

Eliza was enjoying the movie. She inwardly squealed when the two main characters kissed under the fireworks, and silently wished that could be her and Alex. She snuck a peek at Alex's hand, which was resting on the arm of his chair. Her sister's encouraging words ringing in her ears, Eliza made up her mind. She was going to make a move. _No more stalling._

Very slowly, Eliza reached out her hand and, without looking at Alex, rested it on top of his. When he didn't react, Eliza felt her stomach do complicated acrobatics. _He's not pulling away_ , she thought excitedly. _Maybe… maybe I have a chance._ Then something else occurred to her. _Or… he just doesn't know what to do now, and is too nice to say something. Ugh, I don't wanna look at his face to know the answer. Still, it's nice to hold his hand._ So she kept it there for the rest of the movie.

Church was simply watching the movie, unaware of the love triangle that was literally sitting less than five feet away from him.

When the credits rolled in, the lights came on, and Eliza looked over to ask Alex what he thought of the movie. She froze. Alex, to her horror, had fallen asleep, so he had been unaware of Eliza holding his hand. But what was even worse, was that Alex was sleeping on _Angelica's shoulder_. Eliza quickly withdrew her hand, her stomach starting to sink. _It's okay_ , she assured herself. _It was an accident. Surely, they wouldn't actually-no, they wouldn't. They're gonna wake up any moment now, and Angelica's just going to brush it off. Yeah, she's going to-_

Angelica blinked her eyes open, and so did Alex. It took them a moment to comprehend the position they were in, and when they did, a fiery blush overtook Angelica's face. "A-Alex?!" she nearly shrieked.

"Angelica!" Alex quickly lifted his head up from her shoulder. "I am so, so sorry!"

Angelica stared down at the spot on her shoulder, where his head had been. "I-it's okay," she mumbled, her cheeks still red. Then she looked up and saw her sister's face, and felt her insides sour.

Eliza's mouth was hanging open. Her stomach had just plummeted faster than a roller coaster. She saw that blush. She knew what that blush, along with her sister's stuttering, meant.

"Eliza!" Angelica exclaimed, guilt and regret in her eyes. "I-"

"I… need to use the bathroom," Eliza managed to get out, before she quickly stood up and practically ran out of the theater.

"Eliza!" Without thinking, Angelica chased her sister out of the theater. This caught the attention of one of the three girls from earlier. "Damn, you can tell shit's about to go down," she commented, more to an unknown audience than to her two friends.

"Let's not gossip about strangers, AJ," one of her friends reprimanded. "Anyway, what did you think of the movie? I thought it was pretty good…" The three girls exited the theater.

Alex looked apologetically at Church. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on your girlfriend," he apologized.

"It's okay," Church responded in his monotone voice. He frowned. "I wonder what that was all about, though." He looked toward the theater exit.

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "I don't know what happened, but I hope everything's alright."

* * *

"Eliza!" Angelica called. "Wait!" _Nononononononononono. This wasn't how it was supposed to go._ "Eliza, please wait up!" If her sister heard her, she didn't show any sign of it. Eliza pushed the doors to the girls' bathroom open. Angelica ran in and grabbed her sister's wrist before she could lock herself in one of the stalls. "Eliza, listen to me! It's not what it-"

"You like him," Eliza whispered. She had her head turned away from Angelica, her eyes trained on the tiled bathroom floor.

"No, no I don't!" Angelica said too quickly. "You misread the situation! I was just-"

"Don't lie to me," Eliza growled, making Angelica flinch. She had never heard Eliza use that tone before. "I saw how you looked at him. Why didn't you tell me you liked him too?"

"I don't like him! Trust me, Eliza, I'm telling the truth!" Angelica insisted desperately.

Eliza ignored her. "Were you planning to get Alex and I together, all while suppressing your feelings at the same time?"

"Eliza, I don't-"

"Stop lying to me!" Eliza finally looked up, and Angelica felt her heart shatter. Tears glimmered in Eliza's eyes. "How could you?" she choked out. "Do you think I'm _stupid_? I know you, Angelica! You've never been this flustered around a boy before, not even around John! And you're _still_ denying it? And you still tell me to _trust_ you?" She wrenched her hand free from Angelica's grasp. "I can't do this anymore. I'm going home."

"Eliza-"

"Don't try to stop me," Eliza interrupted. "I'm going home, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"But what about"-Angelica swallowed- "But what about Alex? And John? We can't just leave them there!"

Eliza paused, her hand on the door handle. "We'll just tell them something came up, and that we have to go," she answered without turning back, and left the bathroom.

* * *

Tears trailed down Peggy's cheeks. _I… I can't. This… this is too much for me. I'm not sure if I can handle this._ She stared down at her phone, trying unsuccessfully to hold in her tears. _This… this… this webtoon is too sad for my heart to handle! Gah, why you gotta break her heart, Jaemin! Mari loves you so much! I shipped you guys so hard! Oh well, at least Mari still has Shi-hoo._

She heard the door to the mansion open. _Oh, Angelica and Eliza are back._ She expected her sisters to come in chatting excitedly about Eliza's new boyfriend and discussing their next date. She did _not_ expect her sisters to come in arguing at the top of their lungs.

"Come on, Eliza," Angelica pleaded. "You're being irrational. This isn't like you!"

" _I'm_ being irrational?!" Eliza shouted. The two sisters stopped in front of the couch, where poor Peggy sat, gawking at them. "Look who's talking! And since when did you know what's _like_ me?" Servants started edging slowly away from them, not knowing what to do and not wanting to be caught up in whatever fight they were in.

"Of course I know what you're like!" Angelica retorted, her voice rising in volume. "I know my sister like I know my own mind. I will never find anyone as trusting or as kind!"

"Oh yeah?" Eliza countered. "Well, I know _my_ sister like I know my own mind. I will never find anyone as _brilliant_ or as kind!" She glared at Angelica, tears rapidly pouring down her cheeks. "You're smarter than this, Angie! If you wanted to get with Alex, you should've told me!" Peggy's jaw dropped open. Eliza's voice grew quiet. "I-I could help you, y'know. You don't have to stay with John. You date Alex instead."

"No," Angelica said, tears forming in her own eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I won't have it!"

"Can someone please tell me what's going on? What's this about Angelica dating Alex?" Peggy asked, but her sisters ignored her.

"Well, I won't have it either!" Eliza screamed, and stormed off to her room without another word. A moment later, a slam sounded through the whole mansion.

"Ugh, this is so frustrating!" Angelica shouted, and also stomped upstairs. Peggy heard a second slam. Then all was quiet.

"...what the fuck just happened?"

* * *

A/N:Y'all better know what webtoons are. I will personally send you a double smiley face if you can correctly guess the webtoon in this chapter:))

As for the guest who asked "When does this update?" my answer to that is: I update whenever I feel like it. I don't have any particular schedule because it usually takes a while for me to type up a new chapter. But when I _do_ finish a chapter, I upload it as soon as possible because I'm just that excited to share a new chapter.

 **Me:** Yes, school is over, so now I can update my fanfics more frequently now!

 **Summer Jobs (holding my schedule at gunpoint):** We're about to end this bitch's whole career.


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